Unbeing Dead Isn't Being Alive
by DenniBenni
Summary: Unbeing Dead Isn't Being Alive –E.E. Cummings. Everyone thinks he's gone. He died when that warehouse exploded. Little do they know though…he's actually anything but dead.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So, I know I'm working on another story right now. But, I just got the idea for this one and…come on! You know when you get an idea it's so hard not to write it down! So here we go! Tell me how you like it and I'll continue it! (I'll also continue working on my current story, so don't get scared.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or its characters!

Summary: Unbeing Dead Isn't Being Alive –E.E. Cummings. Everyone thinks he's gone. He died when that warehouse exploded. Little do they know though…he's actually anything but dead.

CHAPTER 1

A moment of denying. A moment of lying. A moment of casual talk. Then an hour of drinking and smoking. It's a repetitive and rather boring cycle he had come accustomed to in the past few months. One that, though so many do it for fun, is just a way of life for him now. It's not for the thrill or the idea that he's breaking someone's rules. It's just how he survives and it's how it is every Friday night for him.

A sixteen year old Jason Todd sat on the barstool, taking a swig of beer. How he got the alcohol or how he even got into the bar was his secret. One that was simple enough. It was called a fake ID. A little something he had learned from The Batman himself. It's just that's not something you brag about exactly.

Especially if you want to keep your booze and cigs.

He replaced his mug with his cigarette, taking a draw of the nicotine and smoke. He held it in a while before letting it go, sending it into the air of the bar. The bartender looked at him curiously, a woman who worked here every Friday. Jason had come to know her as JoJo, but apparently her real name was Jordan.

"_Just an unfortunate nickname I guess," _She had said one night.

She had to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Tattoos on her left wrist and on the right side of her neck. Both being tiger lilies.

Jason knew she must have known his ID was fake, but she never said anything about it. Just always gave him that look that she was unconvinced, but served him his beers anyway and allowed him to buy cigarettes from her.

But, tonight she broke the silence between the two of them by asking, "So I'm guessing you're Mama and Daddy doesn't know where you go every Friday?"

Jason didn't even look at her when he replied, "I don't have a father." Quickly he took a swig of his beer.

She raised an eyebrow, "Mama?"

"She's dead I'm sure," He replied, no trace of emotion on his face.

She set down the mug and leaned forward onto the counter, resting on her elbows. "Brothers or sisters? Anyone?"

Jason glanced at her then shrugged, "Nope."

"Then who cares for you, 'cause I know you ain't no twenty-two year old," She replied.

Jason finally glared at her and asked, "What the hell is it your business who takes care of me?"

"Well, I do let you drink in here. And since you're clearly underage I could get into a boatload of trouble," She stated matter-of- factly.

Jason sighed deeply, "I live on my own. Good enough?"

"You from Gotham?" She asked changing the subject.

Jason nodded, "Originally. I…left for a while then came back."

She grimaced, "If I could get out of this hell hole I would. Why would you come back?"

Jason glanced at the T.V. that was on in the corner of the bar. It showed the Gotham news. Batman and Robin had just stopped a bank robbery a few weeks before. It was rare to get the duo on camera so it had been all over the news the past few weeks. Jason answered, not looking away from the screen, "I just had some things I needed to check out." He looked back at JoJo and said, "I wanted to see the "new" Robin everyone was talking about."

"The new Robin?" JoJo asked. She though a moment the nodded, "Oh, you mean the younger kid that started showing up on the news a few months after that other one wasn't sighted anymore? Yeah, a few people have come to see that. He's been around a year or so though. You're a little late."

"Yeah, but I had things outside of Gotham that needed tending. I didn't hear about it until a few months ago." Jason mumbled standing from the barstool. He glanced back at the T.V. and asked, "What do you think happened to other Robin?"

He knew the answer. Just wanted her opinion.

"I'm guessing someone got lucky and shot the kid down," Jordan replied. "Awful really."

"Yeah…" Jason whispered, setting the cash on the counter. "See ya."

"Mhm," was her only reply as Jason exited the bar into the cold air. He lit a cigarette, sucking in the smoke, then letting it out in puffs. Slowly he began to make his way down the street.

He had things and people to tend to.

* * *

Tim landed harshly on the ground, gasping in desperate breaths of air. His vision was blurred and he stumbled and dropped onto his hands and knees chocking. He couldn't think. All he could process was fear and a lot of it. He fell over on his side, hearing someone in his com link shouting.

"_Robin!Where's….location," _He couldn't get the exact words. His mind tried to process everything as he gripped what he thought to be gas on the ground. The trees above his head looked like arms reaching down to grab him. Evil monsters that he attempted to crawl away from.

"Nightwing!" He shouted involuntarily. It was fear and Nightwing was supposed to keep him safe from things. If he was in trouble, Batman said to call his brother while he himself was off world. He was in trouble. The fourteen year old didn't know what was scaring him so much, but the thumping in his chest and the monsters in the forest weren't helping.

Tim collapsed once more, unable to crawl anymore. His body felt almost paralyzed and his heart felt as if it would burst with the force of its beating. He heard a voice in his com link again and all he could make out was_, "Just hold on."_

Tim held his eyes shut, unable to take the spinning of the world and the red eyes that were appearing out of the forest. He tried to control his rapid breathing, but he continued to hyperventilate.

Then all of sudden, his eyes snapped open seeing figures running towards him. They were dark with red eyes and he couldn't help himself when he yelled loudly, "Stay away from me!"

It was when one grabbed him that he started to completely lose control and thrash madly. The figure was ordering him to stay still, but he continued to fight furiously to get out of the monster's grip.

Then…he froze when something was pressed over his nose and mouth, sending a puff of gas into his airways. He sucked it in, immediately feeling his heart begin to slow and his anxiety begin to calm. The monster holding him wasn't that scary anymore all of a sudden and he actually relaxed in the figure's grip.

"Is he ok now?" A voice asked, almost sounding afraid. It was female.

Another female spoke saying, "There…there was a lot of fear radiating off of him, Nightwing. It almost made me sick."

_Nightwing?_

Tim opened his eyes the blurry figure above him clearing. He then realized the monster he had seen was no monster. It was his brother's masked face. Dick Grayson, otherwise known as Nightwing.

Tim also processed five others there too. The two who had spoken were Wondergirl and M'gann. The other three were Superboy, Jaime, and Beastboy.

"Dude…that was crazy," Beastboy stated, his green eyes wide.

Tim turned his head just enough to look at Dick who was holding him. Nightwing whispered, "How're you feeling?"

Tim managed to croak, "Horrible."

He really did. He felt sick to his stomach and his head and chest hurt. Dick nodded and asked, "Can you sit up?"

"I think so," Tim mumbled, managing to push himself into the sitting position with Dick's help. He sat there a few minutes with his eyes closed tightly, breathing in deep breaths. He tried to ignore the eyes that were on him as he did so.

Nightwing watched his younger brother with worried eyes. He tried to calm his own racing heart from when he had heard Tim screaming and choking over the com link. Especially since he was screaming for _him. _That had scared Dick to no end that Tim was yelling for his help and he couldn't do anything at the moment to help him.

Dick sighed deeply, knowing they would have to have this talk…

"What happened?" He asked breaking the sound of Tim's deep breathing.

Tim slowly looked at his adoptive brother and answered, "I…I went into the cabin."

They had been on a mission, following a lead on the Light's Partner. They were currently in the Alaskan wilderness and Tim had stumbled upon a cabin that seemed strangely out of place. Dick had ordered Tim to wait until backup arrived.

He didn't and Tim supposed the cabin must have been booby-trapped.

"Robin," Dick voice suddenly sounded quite angry, making Tim look away quickly. "I gave you orders not to go in there. You could have gotten yourself killed."

"I-I'm sorry," Tim whispered. "I thought…I thought I could take care of it."

"Dammit, Robin," Dick growled. "Do you want to end up like-"

Dick cut himself off before finishing the sentence. Tim looked at him quickly, his eyes wide beneath the mask. He knew what he was going to say and from the looks of it the others did too. Now, they didn't know whose name, but they knew what he was referring to.

"_Do you want to end up like Jason?"_

Tim whispered impulsively in a voice that was almost fearful, "I don't."

Dick's eyes softened and he nodded once. He looked at M'gann and asked, "Can you call the bioship. I don't know how far Robin can walk yet."

She nodded her eyes glowing and calling the ship. Tim rubbed his sore throat and asked, "What did you give me."

"An antidote," Dick answered. "You must have been hit with Scarecrow's fear gas."

"Then shouldn't we search the cabin?" Tim asked, looking towards the building that was a few feet away.

"That can wait," Dick whispered. "Right now we need to make sure it's all out of your system. Now come on."

Slowly he helped his brother stand, the other teammates standing guard in case the teen fell. They then slowly began to load into the bioship.

Tim glanced back at the cabin, hardly able to believe that he had been so stupid to almost have a heart attack…

* * *

So, I hope you liked the opening chapter! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So here is chapter two of my newest story! I hope you like it even though it's short. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

CHAPTER 2

Tim's eyes blinked slowly, a sense of confusion hitting him when he realized he was wasn't home. In an instant he sat up straight in a panicked motion, only to find it to be his brother's room in the mountain.

The teen sighed in relief, rubbing his throbbing head. He eyes moved to the bedside table, reading the clock. 11:44 A.M. Tim's eyes widened slightly, he never slept this late. Ever. Quickly he threw the blankets off of himself and slung his legs over the side on the bed. Pushing himself into the standing position, he wobbled a bit, but soon balanced himself. He sighed. The drugs from last night were probably still wearing off.

Tim quickly got some of his clothes and sunglasses, changing as fast as he could and exiting the room. He knew his hair looked like a wreck, but that didn't really matter right now he supposed. He turned through the halls of the mountain, finally making it to the main training room where he found Cassie and Beastboy sparring while Bart and Jaime stood on the side of the glowing floor watching.

"Hey guys," Tim greeted. He stopped, coughing a bit in some attempt to clear his throat that felt sore and scratchy.

The two who weren't busy sparring looked at him immediately. Jaime greeted first saying, "Hey Rob, you feeling better?"

"Much," Tim replied standing next to the two.

Bart stared at him, shoving a handful of chips in his mouth. He spoke, spewing crumbs everywhere, "That's good. You've been sleeping awhile."

Tim shrugged, "Yeah, I know. But in my defense, Dick did wake me up about five times last night taking blood sample after blood sample to be sure the toxins were washed out of my system completely. I couldn't even sleep in my own room because he wanted to monitor my breathing."

"He's just paranoid, ese. I mean, he learned from the best, right?" Jaime asked, chuckling.

Tim smiled a little at the comment, "Yeah…Batman probably would have done the same. I can't blame them for being careful. They're trying to keep…certain events from happening again."

"Exactly," Bart mumbled a few feet away. The older two heroes looked at him. His face was hardly ever serious, but it had suddenly fallen into one that could probably confuse Batman himself. But when the speedster felt their eyes on him, he looked up quickly smiling it off.

Tim eyed him warily, not exactly sure what had caused the speedster to become so silent. Instead he just nodded, turning his head to watch Cassie and Beastboy who were still sparring. Beastboy turned into a tiger, pouncing at Wondergirl. She kicked at him, which he moved away from with easily. Tim looked back at the other two and asked, "Do one of you want to spar?"

Both grimaced in unison and Tim raised an eyebrow. He asked slowly, "Ok…what's the matter?"

Jaime sighed, "Nightwing said not to let you spar for twenty-four hours. Right now he's with Kid Flash. I would have thought the guy would hate Nightwing for what happened to Artemis, but apparently the two are working on something together."

Tim's jaw dropped, "Twenty-four hours? Why?"

"Something about you needing to rest," Bart chimed in.

Tim sighed deeply, closing his eyes and tilting his head upward, praying for patience. He then opened his eyes and shook his head, "Of course, why would I think any different?"

Tim glanced at the pair sparring, then at the zeta tubes. Tim spoke quietly, "Hey guys…I'm going to go head back to Gotham or something. Tell Nightwing I'll be back by about five."

"Oh, ok. Are you sure you shouldn't tell him yourself? Jaime asked. "I mean, you know how he feels about you disappearing."

Tim smirked, walking towards the tubes. He replied quickly before stepping in, "It'll be fine. I'll take the motorcycle without the Robin symbol. Besides, it's not like he didn't pull disappearing acts when he was younger."

And with those final words, Tim stepped into the zeta tube, immediately feeling his particles pulls apart, sending him out.

* * *

Jason Todd's shoes echoed down the halls of Royal Memorial Hospital in Star City. A few nurses walked by, giving the sixteen year old small hellos before they would hurry off to their next patient. Jason glanced at each door and the number next to it on the wall before stopping at one in particular.

Room 78.

"And here we go," Jason mumbled quietly, pushing the door open.

He hadn't even knocked, so the person on the bed looked up quickly in surprise. Jason smirked at him. He greeted the other, "Hey there, Roy."

Roy Harper, the original. Though Jason had only met the clone, and only for a few minutes, he still felt completely comfortable talking to him. Jason studied the red head's prosthetic arm that had just been attached. Explaining why Roy was back in the hospital. A little gift from Lex Luthor himself if Jason's research was correct.

"Who the hell are you?" Roy asked with a cold glare aimed towards his new visitor.

Jason smirked and replied, "I'll explain that. Just like how I'm going to explain how we can be of service to one another."

Roy's eyebrows furrowed, "What are you talking about? I don't even know you."

"You don't have to," Jason explained. "All you need to know is that we both have something in common. Something that can be of use to us."

"And what is that?" Roy asked cautiously, studying the teen. He usually wasn't so quick to trust, but this was clearly just a teen, no older than seventeen. No older than himself.

"Easy," Jason stated quietly. "We both want revenge. We both feel abandoned by our mentors. You see Roy, we're the same. And we can help each other get our lives back. And that starts in two places…the Justice League and the Young Justice."

The room was silent besides the sounds coming from the street below the hospital. It only took about thirty seconds for Roy to mumble in an almost amused tone…

"I'm listening."

* * *

Yay! Chapter two! It's short, I know. But, as we go along they'll get longer, promise! :) Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So I watched the new episode of Young Justice this morning and I loved it! Got up freaking early just to watch it though. But, it was worth it! So I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

CHAPTER 3

It was almost peaceful. The silence that enveloped him. No one running around. No one talking over the volume of the "inside voice" everyone had learned at the age of four. It was actually quiet for once. A nice change from the recent activities. A relaxation he hardly ever got since he became Robin. Of course he knew what the job meant. Sleepless nights. Stress. And God…there sure was _a lot_ of stress.

A graveyard may not be the best place to be. But Tim found it to be one of the only places in Gotham that was silent. And silence…well it was important to him since it was rarely received. Only when on patrol with Nightwing, and even then his older brother talked way too much. The teen longed for his quiet patrols with Batman. Even though the man hardly spoke a word other than orders, it was better than being chatted to for hours on end.

Don't get him wrong, he loved talking to his brother. But he used patrols as his time to think. It's hard to think when someone is chatting away in your ear.

Tim had his back pressed behind an unknown person's headstone so that he faced the one that he wanted to see. He stared at the carved rock, resting his head back against the other person's grave. He had been told from a young age not to sit or walk over graves. He never did.

His eyes scanned over the carving for the tenth time.

_Jason Peter Todd._

Tim wanted to say something, but he was frightened that if he broke the silence it would never return. Finally he took in a breath and greeted, "Hey Jason."

The silence returned for one moment before Tim reached next to him, grabbing his backpack and unzipping it. He smiled to himself pulling out a box of gummy bears. He looked at the grave and said, "Dick told me a story once about how you two were patrolling together and he had a box of gummy bears. You told him that gummy bears were for kids and that you didn't want any. But when he set them down to go check something out, he came back to an empty box."

Tim moved, breaking the rules a bit to set the box against the headstone. He whispered, "I don't know if they have them where you are, but I thought maybe you'd like a box."

Tim pushed himself back against the stone once more and took in a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them again he spoke, "I don't think Dick trusts me…I mean I guess he does to some degree, but ever since Bruce left…he's been really overbearing. Was he like that when you were Robin?"

No answer. Of course not. He didn't expect anyone or anything to reply to him. Tim could pretend though. He could pretend to hear his middle brother's voice, even though he had never actually heard it except for in videos.

Tim shifted a bit in the grass and continued, "He just…never lets me have any space. Neither does Bruce when he's here. I just…I know it's because they're trying to keep me safe. But it does get annoying after a while." He sighed deeply pulling on the grass, "I'm already afraid that I'm not living up to the Robin name. They're not making it any easier by not trusting me."

"Interesting therapy session you've got going on with an empty grave, kid," A voice suddenly stated from the left of him. Tim nearly jumped out of his skin and was on his feet in seconds. Tim's eyes narrowed when he laid them on the figure in front of him.

A male that was taller than himself, his clothing consisting of a leather jacket, cargo pants, and a silver undershirt. Two gun holsters hung at his sides along with a knife case and weapon bags. His combat boots were tied tightly and suddenly Tim's forehead wrinkled in confusion. He was wearing a huge red helmet.

Tim took a step away from the unfamiliar person, not sure if he was a friend or foe. Tim asked cautiously, "Who are you?"

The figure only laughed and replied, "Me? Oh you know I'm just a ghost of Batman's past."

Tim's eyes narrowed as he tried to think about it. Ghost of Batman's past? That could mean a lot of things. Tim studied the figure closer and asked, "What's your name?"

"Small talk huh, Robin? Well, if you must know, the name is Red Hood," The older stated.

Tim's eyes widened. Robin? How did this person know who he was? He must have let something slip. Something must have happened. It was probably his fault…he probably blew the secret.

The teen decided to play dumb. He put on his best confused face, which wasn't hard since he really was quite confused about everything. "I don't know what you're talking about. My name is Alvin Draper. I don't know a Robin."

The Red Hood chuckled lightly, taking a step towards the teen. He shook his head and replied, "I don't think so. Your name is Timothy Jackson Drake. You were adopted by Bruce Wayne. You're fourteen years old. You uncovered Batman's identity when you were nine and you are Robin, or rather a replacement."

Tim managed to gulp quietly enough so that The Red Hood couldn't hear him struggle. Tim took a step back trying to process everything that had just been put down in front of him. This person _knew _him. His name, his secret identity, his _everything_. But once again Tim shook his head and repeated, "My name is Alvin Draper, not this Tim kid or Robin kid. Whatever you're talking about."

Even though Tim couldn't see the person's face, he knew they had to be smirking under the helmet. The figure replied simply, "Alright Alvin, let's see how well you do in a spar. Because I heard Tim Drake is pretty good."

Tim didn't even have time to reply before the person lunged at him. The younger of the two flipped over one of the grave, breaking the rule of standing over it. He rolled on his side so that he was standing on the other side of the Red Hood. When he stood back to full height, he barely had enough time to block a kick to his face.

Tim threw his own punch, only for it to be shoved away by the person's own hand. Tim back flipped away from the Red Hood, using a headstone as a support system for his lack of momentum since the flip had been sudden. He ducked behind one when the Red Hood sent another kick towards his head.

Tim was terribly confused. Neither could seem to place a punch on the other and the teen couldn't get the words out of his head. This person knew who he was and still, he had never seen him a day in his life. He had never even heard his voice, even though it did sound vaguely familiar. Only the voice though. Not the body build or the attitude. Nothing.

Just the voice.

Tim rolled once more, standing and pulling his arm back to send a punch towards the Red Hood. When he sent it towards the taller of the two, the other grabbed his fist, forcing his arm behind his back.

Suddenly a shockwave of pain was sent up Tim' body as his arm made three cracking sounds in a row. He felt each pop in every fiber of his body when he let out a cry of pain. Immediately he yanked away from the Red Hood, cradling his arm carefully against his chest as he tried to fight of the dizziness and nausea that hit him.

The Red Hood had broken his arm…and from the sound of it in three different places. Tim breathed heavily stepping away from the other, a look pain etched across his face. He had broken limbs, fingers, toes, and ribs. But…this was so much more precise than a fall or a goon getting a lucky hit. It was a trained maneuver. One Tim knew himself.

"Is that all you've got, Replacement?" Red Hood asked, stepping towards him as Tim stepped back. The younger _knew _this person. He knew him and yet he couldn't place a name or a face. But the voice. The voice was so familiar. Like something out of a movie or video. Something.

"_Who are you," _Tim seethed through the pain that was erupting from his arm that he cradled it closely.

"I'm Batman's mistake," The person mumbled under his breath. "I'm the monster he had a part in creating."

Tim didn't even have time to think before he was lunged at once more. He managed to block two hits with his left arm, but since he was right handed it was difficult. It only took one hard kit to the knee to make another cracking sound and to draw another cry from the boy. Then, he was grabbed by the back of the head, his forehead slammed down into Jason Todd's headstone.

Before completely losing consciousness he heard, "I'm his greatest failure."

* * *

Roy Harper the clone sat in his apartment living room, staring at the T.V. It was strangely quiet since Jade had taken Lian with her on a mission that Roy had protested her going on. But…it's almost impossible to win an argument with the woman.

His head snapped into attention when his cell phone that sat on the counter began to ring. He sighed deeply, standing from his position on the couch, walking around the bar into the kitchen and picking up the device. His eyes scanned the caller ID that read, "Ollie."

Roy flipped the phone open answering, "Hey."

"Roy…is um, the other Roy with you?" His former mentor's voice came from the other end of the line.

The red head's eyebrows furrowed, "No he's not. Why? What happened?"

"He's missing," Oliver mumbled. "He disappeared from the hospital after they reattached his prosthetic arm. No one has seen him since."

"Well, did you check-" Roy began, but was cut off when the door to his apartment suddenly slammed open. His head snapped directly at it, studying the figure who was standing in the doorway.

He was looking at himself.

"I'll call you back, Ollie," Roy mumbled, shutting the phone. He set it down on the bar and walked around it back into the living room. He asked slowly, "Roy…are you alright?"

The original Roy Harper stepped in, a smirk across his face. He replied simply, "Yep, I'm great actually. I've just got a little message for you."

The clone's eyebrows furrowed deeply. He glanced at his original's new arm and the bow that he held in it. Along with his new costume. His eyes moved back to Roy's face warily as he asked, "What kind of message?"

"This," Roy replied simply. Clone Roy only had time for his eyes to widen when an arrow was shot at him. It landed in front of his feet, sending a dark puff of smoke in his face and up his nose. He coughed, putting a hand over his nose and mouth before feeling a sharp pain slam against his temple. He knew that pain. It was a bow hitting him.

The force sent him back, slamming him into the bar, the back of his head hitting the counter top. It a made a sick cracking sound as he groaned, trying to process what was happening. He blinked, his vision blurry from the force of impact. Then, he heard what seemed to be his own voice hissing in his ear, "Here's the message. Tell your little Nightwing friend that Jason Todd is back and is about to make all of your lives a living hell."

"What?" Roy the clone managed to murmur. When his vision focused though, he found the smoke cleared…and Roy Harper gone.

Roy groaned loudly, resting against the counter with his eyes closed. What had he meant about Jason Todd being back? Jason Todd is dead. He died when that warehouse exploded. He's been dead for three years. Why would he suddenly be back?

The only words that escaped the twenty-three year old's mouth was, "What the _hell_ is going on?"

* * *

Ta-da! Chapter 3! Hope you liked it! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Chapter 4, sorry for the wait.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or it's characters.

CHAPTER 4

Nightwing and Wally sat in one of the many meeting rooms in Mount. Justice. The silence that had come over the best friends was nearly deafening after the argument they had. Wally refused to look at his friend and Nightwing could understand why. The red head was just trying to keep his girlfriend safe, and Dick couldn't very well blame him for such a thing. But they had agreed that they wouldn't let personal feelings get in the way of the mission. And Wally was doing the opposite of what he was supposed to.

"I know your worried, Wally," Dick finally sighed, breaking the silence. "I'm worried too. But…we have to let this play out. I can't contact them every time you get freaked out."

"Freaked out," Wally scoffed, turning to glare at his friend. "I'm trying to make sure my girlfriend doesn't get killed!"

"I know that!" Dick raised his voice right after Wally had. He closed his eyes suddenly, taking in a deep breath. "I know that. But, Wally please just understand, I've had a lot of things on my plate lately. _A lot._"

Wally couldn't help when his face softened. It was absolutely true. So many things had been shoved at the eighteen year old it was surprising he was still standing upright. Finally Wally sighed, "Ok…I'm just worried. We haven't heard from them in over a week."

"I'm sure everything is fine," Dick sighed. "If it wasn't then I'm positive we would have heard-"

He was cut off completely when the door to the meeting room swung open. Both stood quickly, stopping the discussion immediately. They seemed to relax though when they saw it was Roy the clone at the door. But the relaxation didn't last long when they noticed the large bruise on the side of his head and the way his eyes were confused and worried.

"Roy…what's wrong?" Dick asked concern lacing his voice as he glanced at Wally. Roy shook his head quickly and stepped into the room, slamming the door behind himself to keep from any of the other team members from hearing what he was about to say.

Roy rubbed his bruise and winced, forgetting it was there. He started to pace as his two friends watch him with confused expressions. This time Wally asked, "What happened, Roy." He then grabbed a chair and asked, "Do you need to sit down?"

"No," Roy snapped suddenly as he stopped walking. He looked directly at Nightwing and said, "The other Roy attacked me."

"What?" They both asked in unison. They glanced at each other and Dick shook his head continuing, "Wait, did he give you that bruise?"

Roy nodded, "Yeah. He showed up at my apartment right after Ollie called to tell me he was missing from the hospital. He shot a smoke-arrow at me and hit me with his bow…" Roy then trailed off looking at the floor then back up at Nightwing. He said quietly, "He gave me a message and told me to give it to you."

"A message?" Dick asked. "Why would he give me a message?"

Roy sucked in a deep breath and began to explain slowly, "Just…try not to think I'm crazy here. I'm just telling you what he told me…he said…he said that Jason Todd was back and that he was about to make all of our lives hell."

Dick felt the color drain from his face, Wally's doing the same. Dick opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would escape his lips. Jason Todd was back? That wasn't even really a possibility. Dick had _seen _Jason's body with his own eyes. He was at the funeral. His brother was dead and wasn't coming back. Plus…the original Roy had never even met Jason. How could he know who he was if he was lying?

Dick shook his head slowly, "Roy, that's not even possible. Jason is…he's dead, alright?"

Roy made a face as if he knew something and Wally cut in asking, "What? What else happened?"

Roy ran a hand through his red hair and replied, "I took a DVD from the hospital's security footage. There was a guy in Roy's room…and he did look an awful lot like Jason."

Dick blinked, trying to process what was being said. He looked over on the right wall where a large flat screen T.V. hung with a built in DVD player. Quickly he stepped towards Roy and held out his hand ordering, "Give it."

Roy reached into his back pocket quickly, pulling out the DVD. He handed it to Dick and the eighteen year old took it quickly, moving to put it into the T.V.

When he pressed play it showed a view of Original Roy's hospital room. Immediately Dick began to fast-forward it, skipping all of the nurse visits and meal drop offs. He watched the number at the bottom of the screen until Roy ordered from behind him, "Stop."

Dick lifted his finger from the button, stepping away from the T.V. to look at it better. It showed Roy just sitting on his bed. Everything looked just like it had at the beginning of the video, until the door to the room opened and a person stepped in.

Roy paused the video as soon as the person stepped in and pointed at the person's face. He spoke quietly, "It looks exactly like him."

Dick stared at the screen, his eyes wide with shock. Slowly he stepped away from it and mumbled, "No…I mean…that can't be real."

Wally stared at it just as shocked. He whispered confused, "How did this happen?"

Roy sighed, "I don't know. I mean, I don't even know if it's him for sure. The video doesn't have audio. But, apparently Original Roy believed him enough so that he thought it was actually Jason Todd. And…Roy doesn't just trust anyone after what happened with the Light."

Dick ran a hand through his dark hair and began to pace the room back and forth, running every possible scenario through his head. He asked quietly, "Maybe it's Clayface?"

"I already checked, he's still in Gotham from the last time Tim and the team locked him away," Roy replied quickly.

Dick stopped pacing immediately and looked at his two friends with wide eyes. He said quickly, "Oh God, Tim."

"What about him?" Wally asked.

Dick pulled out his communicator, pressing his brother's page number. He explained quickly, "Tim left for Gotham a few hours ago. If that's actually Jason he's going to be pissed if he finds out about Tim. I need to get him somewhere safe before we can figure this out."

Both red heads nodded in agreement. If that was Jason and what the original Roy had said about him wanting to make their lives hell was true, then Tim was probably on that list of people. Possibly even on the top of the list next to the Joker.

Dick held the communicator close to his face, listening to it beep. But, after only the fifth beep… the connection dropped dead.

Dick's eyes widened as he looked back up at the other two. Wally asked slowly, "What was that?"

Dick mumbled quietly, "Tim either hung up his communicator…or someone did it for him."

"Well does he do that often?" Roy asked.

Dick shook his head, fear enveloping his voice slightly, "No…Never."

* * *

Jason kneeled in front of a figure that was tied tightly to a chair. The figure's head was lying limply in front of him as the sixteen year old attempted to clean the bloody wound on his forehead. He dabbed the cotton swab that was damp with rubbing alcohol onto the wound, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

It was broken when a sudden beeping broke out in the room.

Jason jumped, almost dropping the cotton swab. He looked back at the red head who was standing a few feet away and ordered, "Dammit Roy, could you find that thing and shut it off?"

The other nodded, moving towards the backpack that sat on the floor. He began to dig through it and finally turned the backpack upside-down, emptying the contents onto the floor. Two notebooks, some pencils, along with a math and English book fell out. Finally he saw what he was looking for. A red beeping communicator.

He didn't even hesitate before he slammed his boot down on it, shattering the communicator to pieces.

"Thank you," Jason sighed, continuing to clean the bloody wound.

Roy nodded, "You're welcome…um can I ask you something?"

"What?" Jason mumbled.

Roy glanced around the old apartment, trying to find the correct words. Then he continued, "Well it's two questions actually. The first is, if you're the adopted son of a billionaire, why can't you get a better apartment than this?"

It really wasn't the best apartment. One that was in pretty much the worst part of the city. The wooden floors squeaked horribly and the furniture wasn't much better. The apartment had one small bedroom, one bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. The kitchen appliances barely worked. The bed had a spring sticking out, and the couch smelled like old cigarettes. Plus, the neighbors were all pretty much either drug addicts or drunks who slept all day and partied all night.

Jason replied frustrated, "Dead people don't exactly receive a weekly allowance. And what about you? You're the ward of a millionaire. Why can't you afford a better place?"

"Touché," Roy replied slowly. "And my second question is; why are you patching the kid up if you're the one who gave him the injuries in the first place?"

Jason set the cotton swab aside and explained, "Because I need the kid alive. If I don't clean the flesh wounds, he'll end up with some kind of infection that could end up killing him."

Jason studied the unconscious teenager that was bound to the chair.

It was Timothy Drake.

Roy scoffed, "A little paranoid, don't you think? And if you didn't want him to get hurt, you shouldn't have slammed his head into your gravestone, huh?"

"Shut up," Jason snapped coldly, digging through the nearby emergency kit. He pulled out a box of bandages, taking one and pressing it against Tim's forehead, covering the wound. He then grabbed some medical tape and used it to attach it quickly. He spoke quietly, "There, that should heal ok."

"And what about his arm and knee, Genius?" Roy asked, lying down on the old bed in the corner of the room. "I mean you did break his arm in three places and pretty much shattered his kneecap."

Jason stood quickly to his full height, grabbing the roll of medical tape and throwing it at the other. Roy shouted when it hit his face, "Hey!"

"Be quiet," Jason ordered. "I didn't mean to break any bones. I just got…carried away."

Jason looked down at the kid. He probably wouldn't have cared under normal circumstances. He was fully prepared to hate the replacement with every fiber of his being. But…seeing him talking to his grave like he was actually there…it had sparked a bit of pity inside of him when he had broken the kid's bones.

"Yeah, yeah," Roy muttered, sitting up.

Jason sent a glare towards him and pointed towards the bedroom door, "Go buy at least six newspapers and some glue. I can make a cast for the kid's arm, but I can't do anything about his knee. I don't really care though. It's better that he can't walk well while he's here."

Roy smirked, "Does someone have a soft spot for his little brother since he got him some gummy bears?"

"You mean the gummy bears you ate when you got here?" Jason snapped. "No. Now go."

Roy stood, leaving the room. Jason waited until he heard the apartment door shut before he moved over to the medical kit. He dug through it a moment before pulling out a syringe and a vial of clear liquid. He filled the syringe with it and shifted, sticking the needle under Tim's skin and pushing down the plunger.

When he pulled out the needle, he rubbed the injection sight, setting the syringe aside. He mumbled quietly, "Don't need you waking up while I'm setting your arm. That sedative should keep you asleep for at least four more hours."

He then began to untie the ropes that were around Tim's arms and legs before lifting him up and moving him to the bed. He laid him down slowly so that his broken, right arm was closest to him. He then sighed, standing back to full height whispering, "This was always my least favorite part of breaking bones….resetting them."

The teen then set off to do his work.

* * *

Yay! Another episode of Young Justice tomorrow! Can't wait!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I just want to clear something up. This is before the mountain was destroyed, so it still exists in this fanfiction. Sorry is that confused anyone, I started writing it before the episode aired and I don't really want to add that in.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters.

CHAPTER 5

Bart stood next to Jaime in the main room of the mountain. Bart once again, stuffed another handful of potato chips in his mouth and looked over at Jaime who stared at him with a disgusted look on his face.

"What?" Bart asked, holding out the bag. "Want some?"

Jaime's face crinkled as he slowly pushed the bag away. He answered, "No thanks, Hermano."

"You don't like them?" Bart asked, studying the bag. "I mean, they're baked, I guess some people don't like them. But, they're supposed to be better for you and all, so that's good and stu"

"Bart," Jaime cut in. "You're rambling."

"Sorry," The speedster mumbled, shoving another handful into his mouth. "I just like to talk, ya know?"

"Yeah…I know," Jaime chuckled, shaking his head. Everyone in the mountain knew.

Suddenly, both looked up quickly when three figures enter the main room, going towards the zeta tubes. It took Bart less than a second to realize it was Nightwing, Wally, and Roy Harper the clone. He quickly shoved his bag into his pocket and was in front of the three in a second, stopping them from going any farther.

"Bart, move," Nightwing ordered. Bart's eyebrows furrowed from the hostility in the teen's voice. He looked over at his cousin, seeing the same look of seriousness on his face. Another on Roy's face.

The boy asked quickly, "What's going on?"

"Nothing Bart, now move. We need to go somewhere," Wally ordered.

"Where?" Bart asked.

Nightwing answered, frustrated, "Nowhere."

Bart smirked, "But Wally just said somewhere."

"Kid, move before I shoot you with an arrow," Roy hissed. Bart's eyes narrowed at the sudden threat. But, soon he shrugged, stepping to the side and bowing sarcastically, allowing the three through and soon they disappeared into the zeta tubes.

Jaime walked up behind the speedster and asked, "What was that about?"

"Dunno," Bart mumbled. Soon he turned smiling at the older hero, "But, I'm going to find out."

Jaime opened his mouth to protest, but Bart was gone in an instant, disappearing into the zeta tube. Jaime sighed deeply, turning around with his eyes closed. He mumbled to himself, "You didn't see a thing, Jaime. You saw absolutely nothing."

* * *

Dick parked his car outside of the Gotham City Cemetery. Slowly, he pulled his keys from the ignition and stuck them in the sun visor. Not the most original hiding place, but he often lost them if he didn't put them there.

Suddenly a voice from the backseat asked, "What are we doing here?"

Dick looked back seeing his friend Wally and explained, "I talked to Alfred and he said this was where Tim was heading when he left the manor. Naturally, I thought we should check the last known place he was going."

"Why would he come to the cemetery?" Roy asked from the passenger seat.

Dick sighed deeply and looked at the floor. He answered quietly, "This is where Jason's grave is."

Roy's eyes widened a bit, then softened. He mumbled, "Sorry."

"It's ok," Dick whispered, turning and opening the car door, climbing out. Wally and Roy did the same. Before Dick shut his door he looked at Wally and said, "I'm going to pop the trunk, can you get the med kit out?"

"Why do we need the med kit?" Wally asked walking to the trunk, getting ready to open it.

Dick explained, leaning into the car to press the button that would unlock the trunk, "In case we find something that could help us. Like hair or spit. Things like that."

"Oh," Wally mumbled just as Dick pressed the button. The red head grabbed the handle, pulling it up.

He was suddenly met by a pair of green eyes. Wally jumped back with a yelp of surprise, causing the other two to stand in their fighting positions. Wally fell back onto the concrete with thump, staring at the trunk with wide eyes. But soon, they turned annoyed as he looked at the other two, causing them to relax immediately. Wally stood and asked, "Bart, what the hell are you doing in the trunk?"

Dick sighed at the sound of the speedster's name as both he and Roy walked around the car, each standing on either side of Wally. There they saw Bart Allen smiling at them sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Bart chuckled awkwardly, "Hehe…yeah about that…"

"Was my threat about shooting you with an arrow not clear?" Roy snapped, his arms crossed over his chest.

Bart frowned deeply before replying, "I don't believe so." Then in the blink of an eye he was in front of the archer, looking up, "Is that supposed to be an arrow to the knee joke?"

"Why don't we find out?" Roy growled.

"How about not?" Wally cut in, putting an arm between the two. He continued, this time the question aimed towards Bart, "What were you doing in the trunk?"

"Hiding, duh," Bart laughed. But, when he looked around at the non-amused faces he sighed saying, "I just wanted to see what had you guys so bent out of shape earlier."

"You're from the future, shouldn't you know?" Roy asked.

Bart rolled his eyes, "Like I told BB, I never was a good history student. Failed miserably at the subject actually."

Dick shook his head, not even getting involved in the conversation. He reached into the trunk, pulling out the med kit and shutting it with a snap. He then started to make his way towards the graveyard saying, "Come on, guys."

"What about the kid?" Roy asked.

Dick stopped walking, turning to look at the two speedsters and archer. He shrugged nonchalantly, "He won't be any trouble, will you Bart?"

"Of course not, Captain," Bart stated smiling, giving an exaggerated salute and following the bird. The two red heads glanced at each other before following the two into the cemetery.

They walked through the rows of graves silently. Roy found it quite strange how neither Wally nor Dick looked at Artemis' grave, or even acknowledged it for that matter. But, he interpreted it as a sign of grieving and not wanting to rip open wounds, he let it go.

It took about two minutes to find Jason's grave, which Dick clearly knew every twist and turn by heart. Bart walked closely behind the bird, almost like a duckling following its mother. It was when he suddenly stopped that Bart rammed into his back.

"Ouch," Bart mumbled rubbing his nose. He looked at the other two men, who seemed to be staring at something with a rather worried look. Silently, the teen looked around Dick, seeing Jason Todd's name written in stone. But, that wasn't what had grabbed everyone's attention…

It was the small bit of blood that was on the corner of the headstone.

It was dark and dried, almost looking like dirt. But, all four knew from experience what it was. Dick sucked in a breath nervously and set down the med kit, opening it and digging through it. He pulled out a clear bottle of liquid and a Q-tip before approaching the stone.

He kneeled on one knee, putting the liquid on the Q-tip before gently rubbing it on the dried blood. He looked back at Bart and ordered, "Get me a zip-lock bag."

"Got it," Bart stated, pulling one from the kit and handing it over. Then everything was deafeningly silent as the eighteen year old closed the bag with the Q-tip in it.

Dick then stood, bringing the bag with him. Roy asked, "What now?"

Dick sighed, "We test the blood and see who it belongs to. Then we'll know if we need to start searching for Tim or if he has just wandered off somewhere…then we can find out who the mystery guy is."

Bart looked at the ground with a guilty expression. He rung his hands almost nervously, causing the others to eye him warily. Wally asked quietly, "Bart…do you know something?"

"I-I can't," Bart whispered looking back at his cousin. "No more spoilers…remember?" His usually cheerful voice had suddenly turned into something between a mix of fear and guilt. It was something none had ever heard from the teen…something almost heart breaking.

"Bart," Wally stated, taking a step towards the younger. "If you know something, you _have_ to tell us. Please, if Tim is in danger-"

"He's not," Bart stated quickly. "This person wouldn't hurt him to bad. He never would."

"Who?" Dick cut in. "Who has Tim? Where is he?"

"I'm not sure where he is…" Bart muttered. "He just…he's with someone."

"Bart…who is he with?" This time it was Roy. Bart looked at the three older people who seemed to be looming over him. Anxiety grew deep within his chest as he bit down hard on his lip, staring at the ground.

Finally he whispered in defeat, _"Jason Todd."_

And with those last words he took off, disappearing into the distance before anyone one of them could reply…

* * *

Hope you liked it, please review! :)


	6. Chapter 6

AN: My goodness I am so sorry. I've been neglecting this story horribly, and I'm really sorry about that. I've been working on quite a few projects lately. This story, plus "I'll Be Alright One Day, Someday, Just not today." I've also been working on a story that my friends have been reading (It's not a fanfiction, just a story I came up with.) Then school work and it's just…yeah a lot. I know, I know I did it to myself, so that's why I'm so, so sorry it's been taking me so long to update this story. So I hope you enjoy this update!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

CHAPTER 6

Tim's eyes opened slowly, his vision blurry. All he saw was cream colored swirls that seemed to spin in circles through his eyesight. Little black dots littered his line of vision as a groaned escaped his mouth. His head hurt…almost like migraine type hurt. Slowly, he turned his head to the side, and then to the other side trying to shake away the spinning.

He was able to process a pained feeling, not just from his head, but from his arm and knee as well. Once he managed to open his eyes, he saw that he was staring at a ceiling and lying on what he supposed was a bed. No a comfortable bed…but a bed.

It was when he tried to move that the real pain started. He shifted, moving his legs which caused his knee to shoot an agonizing pain up his body. He hissed, biting down on his lip, barely hard enough not to draw blood. He squeezed his eyes shut, opening them again and moving so that he could peer to the side of himself and at the rest of his body. His knee was covered by his jeans, so he couldn't see it, but he was able to make out what looked like a cast on his arm. But…it was made of newspapers.

His eyebrows furrowed and he began to study the room. Medium sized, clearly an apartment from the fire escape that was visible outside of the one window in the room. A closet was set in the left corner, the door open. Then another door which he supposed was the exit. One chair sat in the center of the room along with a clothing dresser that was on the same wall as the closet.

"What the hell?" Tim whispered to himself, realizing his voice was quite hoarse. He then began to make an effort to sit up on the bed and after a few seconds, he was able to do so, cradling his arm close. His good hand gently pulled his pants leg up, showing his knee. His eyes widened when he saw how swollen and purple it was. Then he remembered. He had been in the graveyard…he had been in the graveyard when the person showed up.

"No," He hissed panicky. "No, no, no…this can't be happening." This person…whoever he was, _knew_ him._ Knew_ his identity. His name. His _everything_ probably.

Without thinking, Tim stood from the bed in an instant. But, it only took a moment for him to crumble to the floor on account on his shattered kneecap. He hit the wood floor with a loud thump, a yelp escaping his lips as his knee and arm hit the floor. He laid on his side a second, taking deep breaths and biting lip to quiet himself in case anyone else was in the apartment.

But, it was too late. He had been heard and the door to the room quickly swung open showing a figure. But, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion when he realized he knew this person. They had red hair and slowly, Tim pushed himself into the sitting position, trying to fight back the pain from his knee. He whispered in disbelief, "Roy?"

Roy stared at the kid on the floor, knowing the boy was probably referring to his clone. He had never met this kid before today. He had barely even known Dick when he was kidnapped. Roy sighed deeply and called into the living room, "The kid is awake!"

Roy's eyes then moved back to the fourteen year old who continued to study him with a look that was desperate to understand. Tim whispered, "You're…you're the original Roy aren't you?"

He gave one slight nod and replied, "Yes."

"Why are we here?" Tim asked quietly, resting his back on the side of the bed while he tried to adjust himself into a more comfortable position. "That wasn't you in the cemetery was it?"

"No," A voice suddenly stated from behind Roy. The red head stepped aside allowing the person to step into the room. "That would be me, Replacement."

Tim's eyes widened to the sizes of saucers. The teen didn't have on a helmet, not even a mask as the two sets of eyes made contact with one another. Tim choked slightly, his head slamming into the side of the bed. He _knew _where he had heard the voice now. It had been a home video that Dick had made one Christmas before Tim became Robin. There had been a boy in the video, no older than Tim is now. He had been…annoyed. Frustrated that he had the camera shoved into his face by Dick.

The voice was so familiar because it was the voice of Jason Todd.

Tim shook his head so hard that the room spun. He mumbled quietly, "No… that's not possible."

"What isn't possible, Baby-Bird?" Jason asked stepping farther into the room and kneeling in front of the teen who tried to push himself farther into the side of bed. "That a ghost has returned from the grave?"

"You died," Tim croaked. "You _died_…"

"I did," Jason nodded in confirmation. "But…after all, who really stays dead in our line of work?"

"I don't…I don't understand…what happened?" Tim asked in disbelief, his body shaking with shock. He wanted to cry. Scream. Something. His whole logic wasn't making any sense right now, and he just _couldn't _process this. Humans don't come back to life. Yes, Superman and Wonder Woman have…but Jason was just a teen…just a _human. _They do _not _come back to life. It's just…no.

Jason glanced back at Roy, then looked back at the fourteen year old who stared at him as if he had grown two heads. "That's a long story, one I don't feel like telling. All you need to know is that you're stuck here awhile."

"What?" Tim asked, seeming to shock himself out of his initial surprise. "But…why?"

"Simple," Jason shrugged, "You're bait. Roy said that some of the League went off world on trial. Your job is simple. We wait until Dickie-Bird notices you're gone, gets so desperate he calls Bruce, then Bruce swoops in to save you. But…he's going to find something a little different."

Tim was silent, waiting for Jason to continue. " I'm going to bring the guy who ruined everything, here. When Bruce comes to rescue you, he'll have to _kill _that person to get you back."

"A-and is that person the Joker?" Tim stuttered. "You're g-going to try and make him murder the Joker?"

Jason smirked, patting the kid's cheek, "Exactly."

Tim's eyes narrowed as he yanked he face away from Jason's hand. He growled, suddenly frustrated, "Bruce won't do it. He won't kill. Not for _you_, not for_ me_, not even for _Dick_."

Jason glare coldly, quickly grabbing Tim's injured knee and squeezing it tightly. Tim gasped loudly, a yelp escaping his lips as he squeezed his eyes shut and slammed his head into the bed once more. He heard Jason hiss in his ear, "For your sake, kid I hope he does."

And with that, he released his grip on Tim's knee and stood, staring down at the boy as Tim breathed deeply in some attempt to calm the pain rushing through his body. Quickly, he reached down grabbing Tim's good arm and yanking him back up. Tim gasped loudly again as he was dropped back onto the bed. He glared up at Jason who just shook his head silently and left the room.

Tim's eyes moved to Roy who had been watching the scene silently. Slowly, Tim lay down on the bed, staring at the red head with a look of betrayal. And…even if Roy didn't know this kid…he couldn't help the way he felt guilty. Because this kid clearly knew him…or his clone. Tim clearly had trusted Roy's clone at some point in his life. And even if that wasn't really him…

He still felt horrible.

The red head sighed deeply and turned, leaving the room. They clearly didn't expect Tim to try and escape. Of course not though…he could barely move. Tim slowly shut his eyes, squeezing them tightly a moment before letting out a pained breath.

"_Jason Todd is __**alive**__," _He thought silently. _"He's alive…and he hates me…"_

Maybe he shouldn't be worried about that right now…but honestly, it was the most important thing on his mind…even more important than Bruce having to kill the Joker…

* * *

"Dick stop!" Wally shouted as he watched his friend throw things around the room. This had been going on for the past ten minutes and Wally was actually afraid to approach his friend while he was having his tirade. He watched as Dick picked up a lamp and threw it at the wall, the glass shattering on impact.

Dick grunted angrily as he turned and grabbed the table the lamp had been on the proceeded to through it against the wall also, one of the legs snapping off and a large hole left in the sheetrock of the apartment. Wally shook his head and glanced at Roy who had been silent during most of Dick's meltdown.

The red head's eyes returned to Dick. There were angry tears in the teen's eyes that pained his best friend in a way. He had only seen Dick cry a few times in his life, one of those times being after Jason's death. Another was a few months after Tim had become Robin and the kid was seriously injured in a gang war. Right now though…these weren't sad or frightened tears. These were tears that only came when someone was completely pissed off.

When Dick angrily punched his fist through the wall, Wally finally took it as an opportunity to grab his friend's arm and quickly pin it behind his back. Wally knew why Roy wasn't doing anything. In the past few years he had spent looking for the original Roy, he had thrown his fair share of tantrums as well.

"Let go!" Dick shouted, and Wally did so, knowing he had finally captured the younger's attention.

Wally asked frustrated, "Are you listening now?"

Dick glared angrily at the speedster, "Why am I supposed to be listening to you? Wally, my brother is back from the grave and God only knows what's happening to Tim. I think I have the right to freak out a little!"

"Dick," Roy stated from the corner of the room. "No one is blaming you for freaking out, but you need to think. We all need to think right now, alright? There's a good chance that Original Roy and Jason are planning something much bigger by kidnapping Tim. We need to figure that out before it gets to out of hand."

"And find Bart," Wally added. "He might have important info on the subject."

Dick ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply as the anxiety began to relax within him. He stated quietly, "Well, finding Bart will be easy. I put a micro tracker in him the day he arrived. We can find him through that."

"Alright," Roy said, stepping away from the wall. "We find Bart and question him about what exactly happened to Jason for him to…well you know. Then we find Tim. Easy."

"Easy," Dick scoffed. "If only."

* * *

I'll try my best not to take so long next time, I hope you liked the chapter though! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Ugh, once again I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I don't even have an excuse, just enjoy the chapter! :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

CHAPTER 7

It was dark. A nice change though for his pounding headache, yet he still hated the ominous feeling that he had sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the back of the closet wall. He sucked in a deep breath, touching his knee gently. Immediately he cringed, pulling his hand away, nearly allowing a pained sound to escape his lips.

He was tired but he couldn't sleep. Not in here, not while he was locked in this closet of Jason's apartment. It was really quiet…even for the city. So quiet it was driving him crazy. He knew he needed to get out but…it just seemed like a very slim option at the moment, especially with his injury.

Slowly though, Tim made his way to the wooden door and pressed his ear against it. Even though he was in the bedroom closet, the sounds all through the apartment echoed quite loudly. He could hear low talking coming from the living room. Jason's voice was the first one he heard speaking_, "Just watch the kid, I'll be back in a few minutes."_

"_What if he tries something?" _Roy snapped. _"I've seen the bats at work and you guys are pretty good at disappearing."_

"_His knee is shattered, what the hell is he going to do?" _Jason hissed, his footsteps echoing farther away until he heard the front door to the apartment open and close. Tim sighed deeply, looking around the dark closet, able to make out the shapes. His eyes settled on the dark outline of the shelf above him with the wooden clothes rack hooked to it. The teen took a deep breath and began to press his back to the door, pushing himself into a standing position.

He the grabbed the wooden rack and quietly pulled it off of the shelf, holding all of his weight off of his injured knee. He held the object, testing the weight slightly. It was almost like his staff. _Almost_ being the key word.

Tim then made his way to the side of the closet, pressing his right shoulder to the wall and reaching forward to tap his knuckles against the door. It took three times before he heard Roy's voice snap from the other side, "What?"

"I have to use the bathroom," Tim stated adjusting the clothes rack in his hand. The silence that followed was one that Tim knew Roy was using to think.

Finally his voice replied, "Sorry kid, no can do."

"Come on," Tim groaned. "I have to pee. I can't hold it anymore!"

"Are you some kind of five year old in Wal-Mart?" Roy growled, annoyed. "I said no."

Tim sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "Fine, but I guess you're going to have to clean it up since my knee is shattered and we both know Jason isn't going to do it."

Another silence followed and Roy finally said, exasperated, "Fine, damn it."

Tim took a deep breath as he heard Roy begin to unlock the door. When it yanked open Tim immediately went into action. He pressed all of his weight onto his good leg and whirled around the wall through the doorway. He immediately felt the clothes rack come in contact with Roy's head and the other gasped in pain and fell to the floor.

Tim blinked a little, staring at Roy who was dazed. But, he looked away quickly, going towards the window and opening it, dropping the clothes rack so that he could move faster. He climbed through onto the fire escape, ignoring Roy's angry and confused curses as he tried to make his way down.

Tim gripped the rusty ladder of the fire escape. He clenched his teeth tightly, grunting in pain as his knee all but screamed for attention. He needed to get down into the alleyway and run into the street. Surely they wouldn't find him in the crowd of people…hopefully. But, Jason didn't strike Tim as the subtle type, so if Roy did manage to call the other somehow, he doubted Jason would have any trouble dragging him off of the street.

He'll worry about that later…

Tim's train of thought was cut off suddenly when his bad leg slipped off of the metal of the ladder, sending him plummeting into the alley below. He landed on his back with a low thud, his head hitting the ground sharply. His vision whirled to the left as he gasped for oxygen being that the wind was knocked out of him.

"What the freaking hell?" A voice growled suddenly from his right. Tim closed his eyes tightly knowing immediately who it was.

Jason…

He supposed he should have waited until he heard Jason ride off on his motorcycle before he tried to make his escape. But, his brain hadn't been thinking the best lately because of his knee. All of his energy was being put into that…now he was screwed.

All because he didn't think. Why was he so stupid sometimes?

Tim opened his eyes seeing the older teen staring down at him, then looking up at the window where Roy was peering down, holding his head. When Jason looked back down, his eyes almost looked like they were on fire with anger making Tim want to crawl in a hole and die.

"Are you an idiot?" Jason snapped, bending down and yanking Tim up by his shirt. Tim gasped as pain shot through his leg and up his spine. He felt his back come in contact with the brick wall of the building as the world spun. He must have hit his head harder than he thought.

Tim couldn't help it when his head lulled to the side slightly as Jason shook him. The other's voice sounded so muffled he could barely hear Jason cursing him out. Tim reached up and gripped Jason's wrists in some attempt to stop the world from spinning so much as he shut his eyes again.

"Are you listening, Replacement?!" Jason shouted, stopping his shaking to push Tim against the wall once more. Why would the kid even do that? Jason would have thought Bruce would train him better than to just jump out of a window like that without a plan or even an idea about what he was going to do. His eyes narrowed on the younger teen when the boy didn't reply; just allowed his head to fall to the left. When he felt Tim's grip on his wrist loosen, he immediately knew he must have lost consciousness.

Slowly, Jason set the kid on the ground and propped him up against the wall. As he looked over him, he noticed how pale the teen was and the bags under his eyes weren't making him look any better. Jason pressed the back of his hand to Tim's forehead, feeling a bit of warmth radiating off of him.

"Crap," Jason cursed quietly, removing his hand. The last thing he needed was for the replacement to get sick. Especially when he needed to get the Joker and drop hints for Bruce to find when he came back.

Jason looked up at Roy who was still watching from the window. He threw his hands in the air exasperated and shouted, "Well what the hell are you doing!? Get your ass down here and help me!"

He couldn't see, but he knew the red head must have rolled his eyes. Jason's gaze once again fell on the teen and he hissed, "Kid, if you keep causing me so much trouble, we're going to have a problem."

* * *

Bart had his knees pressed tightly to his chest as he stared at the wall. His hiding spot was small, almost a box. Actually it pretty much was a box in an airshaft on the side of a building in Central City. He had found it speeding through the alleyway looking desperately for a place to hide. He didn't really know how they kept finding him, but it was driving him crazy having to constantly get away from them.

What did they expect him to say? _"Oh I know every little bad thing that's going to happen in the next few years. Conner is supposed to die saving the world. Lian is going to die and send Roy spiraling downhill." _So many people are going to die and come back and they just expect him to give it all up?

He can't do that; it could screw things up more than they already are.

He stiffened suddenly though when a voice rang out through the alleyway, "Bart! Come out, please? We're not angry with you."

The boy had to muffle his breathing and shoved his face into his knees. If they found him…well he had no clue. What else would they want to know from him? He doesn't know where Jason is exactly, just what his plan is. Does he even have a say in the matter if they find out or not? What would they do to get the answers out of him? Surely nothing horrible…right?

Bart could hear their footsteps getting closer to the ground vent and a slight beeping sound was following them. His eyes widened in realization. That must be how they knew where to find him...

They had some kind of tracer.

"_Crap," _Bart thought silently, looking through the grate of the vent. He could only see their legs and shadows as they approached him. When he heard someone grab the grate to remove it, he quickly kicked both feet outward, sending whoever it was back with the piece of metal.

He was out in a second, running towards the exit of the alley. He was almost out when he felt something hard and fast slam into his back, tackling him to the ground and pinning him within seconds. He knew it had to be Wally. The other two wouldn't have been able to catch up with him.

"Get off!" Bart shouted, trying to wiggle his way out of his cousin's grip.

The older shook his head quickly, "Sorry kiddo, this'll only hurt a little."

"What?" Bart asked, but got his answer when he felt a spring loaded needle slam in his left thigh. He gasped slightly, feeling his body already begin to try and heal where the needle had invaded his skin.

The boy continued to squirm after the needle was removed and he felt Wally loosen his grip on him, knowing Bart was about to lose consciousness from the sedative. Dick and Roy slowly approached the two as Bart mumbled, "You can't…do this."

Wally rolled him over onto his back and placed a hand on his forehead whispering, "Shh, just go to sleep."

Bart tried his best glare and the three older heroes could see tears prickling in the corners of his eyes. Wally grimaced slightly. He couldn't deny that he felt bad. This kid was usually all smiles, but right now he was almost in tears. And the look of betrayal on his face wasn't helping the red head feel any better.

"Just close your eyes," Wally ordered, pushing some of Bart's hair away from his sweaty forehead.

No longer able to fight the sedative, Bart's eyes slowly slid shut as he fell unconscious.

"You alright, Roy?" Wally asked, turning to look up at the other. He had been the one who was thrown back when Bart kicked the grate.

"Yeah, just a scrape," He mumbled rubbing his elbow slightly.

Dick sighed quietly, "How long should that last?"

Wally shrugged, "Three, maybe four hours. It was the strongest dose I could give him, but his metabolism is so high, it'll run through his bloodstream pretty fast. The needle barely made it through his skin, even with it being spring loaded."

Dick nodded slightly, "Alright, doesn't the watch tower still have that cage just in case Flash goes rogue or something?"

Wally nodded, "Yeah, they made it so that he couldn't vibrate his way out."

"Ok," Dick mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "I hate to lock the kid up, but it may be our only option to keep him contained. We'll take him there."

The other two nodded and Wally stood, bringing Bart with him in his arms. He looked down at the slumbering child, wondering why Bart was so afraid of them. Maybe of what they would ask. All they needed to know was information about Jason…What could be so bad in the future that would diminish the boy to nearly crying?

Oh well…maybe they would find out soon enough.

* * *

Hope you liked it! Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Sorry for the wait, enjoy the chapter! :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

CHAPTER 8

Tim's eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry the first few seconds from the invasion of the bright sunlight seeping in through the window. He squinted them, groaning slightly as a sharp pain hit his head from the sudden brightness. He managed to move his good arm and cover his face with it, rolling away from the direction of the light.

Once he was face down, the familiar smell of cigarettes in the sheets below filled his nose. He wanted to gag. He hated the smell. But, he had managed to grow used to it over the last couple of days. He started to think though…why did his head hurt so much? And why did his muscles seem so stiff and sore? He knew what was wrong with his knee and his arm didn't hurt so much anymore. But, his back did and his head.

Then he remembered…he had tried to get out…and he had practically fallen most of the way down the fire escape…

Everything after that was pretty much a blur.

"I know you're awake, kid," A voice suddenly spoke, causing him to look up quickly, his head spinning. His eyes were once again squinted from the light as he focused on the figure leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom.

It was Jason.

Tim swallowed thickly; slightly afraid of what was going to happen next. He knew he had screwed up. That he had just ruined his best chance at escape. He had completely just f-…well screwed it up.

Tim slowly placed his head back on the mattress, remaining silent as he kept his head turned towards the older. Finally, when he supposed Jason was just waiting for him to reply, Tim croaked, "So I am."

Jason shook his head, clearly not wanting to hear the sarcasm. He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to lean against the doorframe. He growled, "What on God's Earth possessed you to do something that damn stupid?"

Tim's gaze fell from Jason's face when that cloud of rage washed over his adoptive brother's eyes. His shoulders rose and fell awkwardly from his lying down position. He pretended to be focused on his hand that was so close to his face on the mattress, it was blurry.

"That's not an answer," Jason snapped. Tim didn't move. He barely even breathed as he prayed for Jason to calm down. He honestly didn't feel well. He was hurting mentally and physically. He just didn't feel like talking to anyone right now.

"Replacement!" Jason suddenly shouted, causing Tim to flinch slightly when the sharp pain returned to his head. Jason was clearly not having the best of days…

"Stop yelling at me," Tim whispered, shutting his eyes. "My head hurts and I don't feel right."

He heard Jason sigh and the ex-Robin replied with, "You have a fever. Which is normal considering your knee is pretty messed up. You won't feel "ok" for a while."

Tim nodded slightly, his head rubbing the mattress as he opened his eyes. Jason still hadn't moved, which was a good sign on Tim's part. That meant he hadn't frustrated the teen so much he would want to strike him.

When they were enveloped in silence, Tim thought maybe the conversation was over. Maybe he actually wasn't in all that much trouble. The beating in his chest calmed a bit, but it was short lived when Jason spoke once more.

The older stated in an angry tone, "If you ever try that again, I won't hesitate to put a bullet through your other knee. Got it, kid?"

Tim gulped loudly, nodding, "Yeah…I got it."

"Good," Jason sighed. "I'm leaving to take care of the business that you interrupted earlier. If you move, Roy has my permission to shoot you with an arrow."

Tim stared at him with wide eyes after saying that. He slowly lifted his head and asked slowly, "What kind of business?"

Jason smirked slightly, uncrossing his arms. He said smugly, "Think about it, Timbo."

Tim's gaze fell to the floor, his eyebrows furrowing. Then…it hit him. He knew where Jason was going…

Jason was going to get the Joker.

"Jason, no. You can't do that," Tim hissed, his eyes lifting back to meet Jason's.

Jason's smirk never disappeared as he shrugged his shoulders, "Too bad I don't care, isn't it, Baby-Bird? I'll be back in about an hour. Stay out of trouble."

Tim's jaw dropped as Jason turned and left the room. He screamed, "Jason! Stop! You don't know what you're doing!"

But, there was no reply. Just the sound of the front door of the apartment shutting. Tim bit his lip as his body began to shake. This was bad…just really, really bad. Slowly, he lowered his head back onto the mattress, no daring to move. He believed Jason when he said either he or Roy would shoot him. And if he was ever going to get out of here, he didn't need another injury. He needed to wait…just wait.

But, sometimes waiting is the hardest thing to do in these types of situations. Actually it always is.

* * *

"Bart…please talk to us," Wally begged from the other side of the glass. He was staring at Bart who sat in the middle of the floor, the florescent lights making the tears in his eyes sparkle slightly as he stared at the three adults who were on the other side of the containment unit. The cell was large, but empty. The floor being completely white which made the lights reflect horribly and hurt his eyes. The walls were glass…but not normal glass. A glass he couldn't break or vibrate through. Which made him feel completely defenseless sitting here.

Bart just stared, blinking every now and then to get rid of the threatening tears. He was honestly afraid, and not because of the older three. But, because he had been in a cell like this before in the future…where he was considered a slave. Just another piece of meat to run tests on and right now, those fearful months of being locked up were coming back in heaps. So, as his chest rose and fell rapidly, he tried to control it. But, he knew he was on the verge of a panic attack.

Bart shook his head slowly and whispered, "I can't…I can't tell you."

"Bart please, this is serious," Dick began quickly. "How did this happen? What happened?"

Bart rubbed his eyes with the back of his fists and whispered, "I _can't _tell you. Let me out, please. Please just let me out."

"Not until you give us some answers," Roy growled. It had been pretty much a round of good cop/bad cop between Roy and Wally. Dick was the in-between cop they supposed.

Suddenly, Bart screamed, "I told you I can't tell you! Let me the hell out now!"

Tears had started streaming his cheeks as he stared wildly at the three shocked heroes. Bart closed his eyes, no longer to look at their faces as he pulled his legs to his chest and buried his face in his knees. He cried. He cried and he didn't know why. He was afraid and everything from that time…all of those times being locked up in the future were coming back.

"_Stop crying, Slave. We don't have time for runts like you. Shut up! You weak little imbecile!"_

Bart covered his ears and croaked, "Be quiet. Stop it. Stop it."

"Bart," Wally began carefully, "Bart…what's wrong."

"_Such a baby. Little slave, are you crying for your mother? Your father? Well, they're dead. They were weaker than you!"_

In an instant Bart was up and on the other side of the room. He slammed his fist into the glass glaring through it. Roy, Wally, and Dick all stared at the boy in front of them as they jerked backward at the sudden retaliation. Bart's eyes narrowed on the three as he growled like a feral monster, "Shut. Up. Now."

Wally gulped slightly, glancing at the other two. He whispered, "Something's wrong."

"You think?" Roy asked sarcastically.

Suddenly, all three looked back at the boy as he crumbled against the glass, his body being wracked with sobs. He cried, "Please just please…_let me out_."

Dick was the first to move. He couldn't stand sitting there while they gave Bart a panic attack. Which it was clear that's what was going on. Something about being caged…it was scaring the younger. He wasn't about to do that to a kid.

"What're you doing?" Roy asked as Dick slid the glass door open, entering the containment room. He walked over to the young speedster who was still crying and crumbled against the glass wall, his eyes squeezed shut.

Dick kneeled down next to the boy and pulled him into a hug, running a hand over the top of his head. He whispered, "Hush Bart, it's ok. We're sorry. We didn't mean to scare you. We're sorry."

Bart clutched at Dick's costume and sobbed, "T-they lo-locked me up. They d-did it s-so many times. E-every time I cried they w-would call me a s-stupid slave. I'm n-not a slave! I'm not…"

"Of course not," Dick spoke, confused about what the boy had said, but agreeing non-the-less. "You're no slave. You're so much more than a slave."

Dick rocked the boy, hearing the two red heads enter the cell. They made the way across the room, standing behind the two. All three had guilty looks etched across their faces. This interrogation hadn't exactly gone well.

Not at all…

* * *

Please review! It's kind of short, and I'm sorry about that, please be forgive me. :)


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Ta-da! Chapter nine! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

CHAPTER 9

Jason landed lightly on the roof of Arkham Asylum. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he went into a roll, landing on his stomach, pressing himself as far as he could into the pebbles that littered the top of the roof. The spotlight grazed over him, barely missing his form, the security guards still unaware of his presence.

When the light was to the far right, Jason began to army crawl across the roof, trying to put distance between himself and the outer wall and guards. The spotlight would soon lose its range and he would be out of sight.

Jason slowly approached the ventilation shaft that stuck out from the top of the room. Quickly, he pulled the grate off the side and slid into it, replacing the metal with ease. Jason grunted as he shoved his back into the metal behind himself and his feet in front of him to keep himself from falling straight below into the darkness of the vent systems. Slowly, he began to shimmy his way down the shaft.

He couldn't help the way his mind was wandering like crazy. The past few days had been stressful, that was no secret. The kid was getting on his last nerve and now he was about to have to deal with the guy who _killed _him. The monster he wanted to tear apart every time he even thought about the God forsaken clown.

Not to mention that once he had the Joker, he would have to wait for his former mentor to return and learn of his presence. Which wasn't exactly the worst thing ever. He wanted to see the torture on Bruce's face. He wanted to cause the man pain, because after all, you can't imagine the pain Jason felt when he woke up and found that he mentor had never avenged his death and had actually _replaced _him.

And in all honesty…Jason had been completely prepared to hate Tim. To beat him and make the kid's life a living Hell. But…it was much harder than he had anticipated. The kid wasn't horrible. He wasn't cocky or all that annoying. Jason was just frustrated with the fact that the kid was making this so hard. And with the fact that he was trying to come to terms that when it all boiled down to it…he may actually have to kill the kid if Bruce refuses to kill the Joker.

Save the kid the pain of being tortured by the clown or any other criminal.

Jason stopped shimmying when he came to a level place in the vent. Slowly, he lowered himself back onto his stomach and began to crawl through the tunnel, keeping his movements quiet. His elbows ached slightly, but is wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He was used to it.

Exactly five minutes later he was peering through a grate, looking down into the hall of the Arkham Asylum. He smirked slightly seeing the two unsuspecting guards standing in front of the Joker's cell.

Silently, he slipped his fingers between the grate and curled them around the metal, removing it from the vent. He set it aside and reached back into his belt pulling out a freshly sharpened blade. He gripped the handle tightly, taking in a deep breath before springing into action.

Jason jumped from the vent head first, slitting the first guard's throat before he even hit the ground. The second guard raised his gun, only for Jason to kick it out of his hands and send it sliding down the hall. In one swipe, Jason slid the blade across the second guard's throat, the bleeding man crumbling to the ground in less than a second.

Jason glanced around, observing his handiwork. Well, that probably only took about fifteen seconds…Arkham should probably get better guards…or more.

Jason slipped his knife back into his belt and bent down, grabbing the guard's access card. He then stood, stepping over the bloodied man and slid the card in front of the recognizer, causing it to beep. He heard the locks slide open, making his eyes narrow, knowing exactly what lay behind the door.

Jason used his foot to kick it open and stepped inside the dim room, his eyes settling on a figure that was wrapped tightly in a strait jacket. A cold look crossed over Jason's eyes. One of pure hatred and loathing as he stepped a bit further into the room; seeing the maniac for the first time in years.

Jason sucked in a deep breath through his nose to keep himself from killing the monster right there. But, no. He had to wait…Bruce…Batman had to do it. He had to…or else this was just a waste of time.

Slowly, the insane man with green hair raised his head, a look of confusion first etched across his face. Then, slowly, his unnatural smile appeared across his lips seeing the teen in the red helmet.

"Oooh, a visitor! I don't get many of those now a days…and who might you be, pumpkin?" The Joker asked in a high pitched voice that was much too happy…scratch that. Much too _crazed _to be heard from a human being.

Jason's anger rose, but once again he forced it down. Slowly he began to step towards the green haired man and replied in a growl, "I'm your own personal demon."

* * *

Bart sat silently on the bed in the medical bay. He had his legs crossed as he stared at his hands in his lap, not really thinking. This is the longest he had sat still in quite some time actually. But, he just didn't feel like moving. He just didn't feel like doing anything at the moment, honestly.

Inside, he was beating himself up for his earlier display of emotion. He had been stupid and should have been calm about everything, but the memories…they snuck up on him. It's not like they've never done that before. But, most of the time it was in his sleep, or in the darkness of the nights. In the shower where he could cry and sob freely without it being noticeable, not even to himself. Emotions were…burdens. Something he carried, but wished not to. Something that slowed him down and speedster hated being slowed down.

Bart was only slightly aware when he heard footsteps enter the room. He didn't look up, but he recognized them. How? Well, he was used to listening to the slowness of movements, and these footsteps belonged to Wally.

Bart still refused to look up when there was a shift on mattress as Wally sat in front of him at the foot of the bed. Bart chewed on his bottom lip, his eyes shifting from his hands to his knee. He just wanted to be alone. To recover from the exhaustion of the day. And he was still upset about being sedated and locked up, especially with all of the trouble that had happened because of it.

"So do you want to talk?" Wally's voice asked, breaking the silence that had threatened to swallow the two. And for once, Bart wished it would. He wished it would eat him up. The ground…the silence. Anything.

When Bart didn't reply, Wally sighed deeply and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Bart lifted his gaze a bit, barely meeting his cousin's eyes. Wally was the slightest bit shocked when he saw tears in the boy's eyes. But, more shocked by the fact there was no anger or hate in them. Just hurt and betrayal…which stung a lot more than the anger and hate ever could.

"You should be," Bart stated, his voice cracking a bit.

Wally nodded once and raised his hand to place it on Bart's shoulder. But, his action was stopped when he saw the way Bart cringed, ducking his head as if expecting a slap to the face. Wally's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and gently he gripped Bart's chin, raising his face. Wally muttered, "Hey…what's wrong? I'm not going to hurt you."

Bart kept his eyes settled on Wally's chin so that he wouldn't have to meet the elder's eyes. Wally took in a deep breath and asked slowly, "Bart, what did you mean when you said you weren't a slave?"

"Nothing," Bart snapped, ripping his chin away. "Nothing that I can tell you."

Wally leaned forward slightly and spoke, "You actually thought I was about to slap you. Didn't you, Bart?"

"No," Bart ground out through clenched teeth, a few tears welling in his eyes as he kept a glared gaze settled on the bed blankets.

The red head narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you abused by your parents in the future?"

Bart's eyes widen suddenly and his head snaps up in the direction of his cousin, "No! Of course not!"

"Then why did you flinch?" Wally asked quickly. "Why did you get so afraid when we started to interrogate you? Why did you keep repeating that you weren't a slave?"

"Because I am one!" Bart screamed in frustration. "I'm a slave in the future, and you know what? That's all I am! I'm a stupid good for nothing slave who came back to fix things, but I don't even know if I'm making a damn difference! I'm just an idiot!"

"Hey," Wally snapped suddenly, grabbing Bart by his upper arms when the child tried to jump out of the bed. "Hey, you listen to me, kid. I don't know what you mean by you being a slave, but I know you're not stupid. You're honestly one of the brightest kids I've ever met. Whoever told you those things is the stupid one."

Bart breathed heavily as he stared into his cousin's eye with his own bloodshot ones. The boy took in a shaky breath and croaked, "You don't know what it's like back there."

"You're right, I don't," Wally mumbled. "But, I'm not blind. I can see _you _Bart. Not the future, but I can definitely see you. And you're not a slave, and you're not an idiot. You're a _smart_ kid. A _good_ kid."

Bart chewed on his bottom lip to stop the threatening tears. Before he could open his mouth to speak again, he was pulled into a bone crushing hug by the other speedster. There he sobbed for what felt like eternity until he finally he managed to mutter, "Ok…Ok I'll tell you guys what happened to Jason…"

* * *

So I hope you liked it! Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

AN: It's a shorter chapter, I know. But, I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters.

CHAPTER 10

If silence could kill, Tim would be dead. Long gone into the abyss that would be formed in the ringing silence. He would slip inside maybe, curl up and never return. Never wake and never worry. The thought seemed very…morbid. And maybe it was…or possibly not. It could be what's best for him.

Death was…smothering. Not death itself maybe, possibly just the thought of it. Thinking about death is painful and could be labeled as a choking hazard. It could be torture. It could be blood. Anguish. Anger. Anything and everything we breathe and see. Death surrounds us in ways we will never comprehend.

But, the more Tim thought about death, the less horrible it sounded. The less smothering it was. Not that he thought Jason would kill him out of cold blood, but he had no doubt Jason would kill him. Because if Bruce didn't kill the Joker, Jason would surely kill Tim. And the boy was not afraid of that. He was just afraid of what would happen to Batman if he lost another Robin. Especially if it was at the hands of one of his own.

Tim pulled his knees close to his chest staring at Jason who was restraining a bloody and unconscious Joker across the room. Tim was on the bed, chewing on his bottom lip, his body shaking uncontrollably. He hadn't been around the Joker many times before. Bruce didn't like him to be. The last time he had been he had gotten sprayed with laughing gas, which had caused the Joker to be put in a body cast for a few months.

Tim watched as Jason finished cuffing the Joker to a metal pipe that was sticking out of the wall. Tim studied the Joker's wounds. His face was swollen and bloody. Jason had clearly beaten the maniac without mercy, which in all honesty didn't bother Tim at all. Jason deserved to at least do that.

The Joker had after all…taken everything.

Tim just kept telling himself that everything was the Joker's fault and that Bruce not killing the monster didn't have anything to do with it.

Jason stood to his full height, turning to face Tim. The fourteen year old quickly adverted his eyes to the floor, resting his chin on his knees. Tim whispered, "What now?"

"We wait," Jason replied simply with a stiff shrug of his shoulders.

Tim heard Jason walk across the room towards him. Tim slowly lifted his gaze to meet his would be brother's. Jason's eyes were tired and clearly straining to be kind. But, there was that anger behind them that was always there. That storm that was constantly brewing and the lightening that constantly flashed coldly in the ice of his irises.

Jason pressed the back of his hand against Tim's forehead saying, "Your fever hasn't gone down."

"Does it matter?" Tim whispered. "You're going to kill me anyway."

"Not necessarily," Jason said, removing his hand.

Tim scoffed, rolling his eyes. Tim looked at Jason and he stated sharply, "Of course you are. Bruce isn't going to kill the Joker. He won't. You and I both know that, so stop acting like I have a chance. You're going to kill me…because you don't lie, do you Jason? You've been lied to way too many times. You wouldn't bluff. We'll both find out when Bruce refuses to kill the Joker and then you put a bullet to my head."

Tim cringed when Jason slapped him in the back of his head, causing his head to swing forward. He slammed his lip against his knee, feeling it bust. He covered it with his hand to stop the blood that had begun to pour from it. The teen glared up at the older, his eyes pricking with frustrated tears.

Jason leaned down slowly and hissed, inches from Tim's face, "You think you're all brave because you're acting like you're not afraid, huh? News flash kid, it's a hell of a lot different when it boils down to it. So don't act all stoic."

"I'm not trying to…" Tim started, but he trailed off figuring it was futile to argue.

Jason stood back to his full height and rolled his eyes, turning to leave. Before he did however, Tim grabbed his arm to stop him. Jason stopped immediately and turned, staring at the younger. Tim glanced at the Joker quickly then he looked back at Jason. Tim swallowed thickly and whispered, "Please don't make me stay in here with him."

Jason's jaw slackened and he sighed. He pulled Tim from the bed by his arm, not attempting to be gentle in anyway, but the boy did gasp from the pressure on his knee. He let go of Tim's arm and pointed to the bedroom door saying, "Go sit with Roy in the living room."

Tim nodded, exiting the room hastily, still rubbing his bloody lip and limping slightly from his knee. Jason let out a puff of air, his gaze traveling to his murderer. His eyes narrowed and he growled, "I really hope there is a hell, because death is too good for you."

* * *

Bart stared at the three men, a nervous expression etched across his face. He fiddled with the hem of his red shirt, his body shaking as he began to regret his decision on agreeing to tell them exactly what had happened to Jason. He had just said it because he supposed he owed them that much…especially for all of the trouble he has caused lately.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing seemed come out. Slowly, he closed his mouth once more, swallowing nothing. His mouth was so dry. He felt trapped and like he was a bug under a magnifying glass. Slowly, he shifted in the seat as the three waited patiently for answers. Finally, the speedster croak dryly, "I uh…I guess I'll start with how he came back."

They nodded and Bart sucked in a deep breath before continuing. He nuttered, "It was Ra's Al Ghul…he felt guilty about assisting the Joker in Jason's death. So, he thought he would use the Lazuras pit to bring Jason back for Bruce…but it didn't work out that way."

"What do you mean?" Dick asked shakily.

Bart chewed on his lower lip before explaining, "Jason _did _come back…but when he did he was…unstable. Crazy even. The history books say he escaped Ra's' palace and managed to survive in the Bosnian wilderness for months. When he regained a bit of his sanity…he returned to the United States. There he found out that the Joker was still alive. And even worse…there was a new Robin."

Dick opened his mouth in a futile attempt to defend Bruce, but soon he closed it, unable to find the words that would defend the man's decision to put another child on the front line.

Bart's gaze fell to his feet as he said, "He probably returned to Gotham a little under two months ago. I knew he had to be coming back soon and-"

"Whoa, wait," Roy cut in. "You knew about this and didn't tell anyone?"

"I couldn't," Bart snapped. "It could have completely screwed us all over."

Roy stared the younger boy shocked before exclaiming, "We could have helped the kid!"

"No," Bart growled. "He had to do it on his own. Don't argue with me, Carrot Top. I knew what I was doing and I weighed it out that it was best to keep Jason a secret until he decided he needed to come back. It wasn't my place to tell you guys that he was back and I stand by my decision."

"Just like you decided not to tell us you were a slave?" Roy asked.

Wally hissed suddenly, "Roy that was uncalled for."

Dick's eyes were watering slightly behind the mask as he listened deafly to the others' argument. He rubbed the side of his face, taking in a weak breath before stuttering, "D-did…did h-he ever…"

Bart's mouth fell into a straight line before asking, "Did he kill Tim?"

Dick nodded once and Bart shook his head, "No. Believe it or not Jason isn't capable of that. At least not in my time. He couldn't kill a member of the batfamily…unless he had to. In my time he nearly killed Tim because Bruce wouldn't kill the Joker. You'll have to contact Bruce or else Tim will die. I can't tell you anymore…I can't risk the future. I already have way too much."

Dick nodded once, not really wanting to call Bruce. But if he had to in order to save his _brothers _then so be it. He would do anything for them and risking getting yelled at by Bruce was something he would go through for them. Slowly, Dick stood and turned, heading towards the large monitor in the watchtower. He glanced back at the three and whispered quietly, "Let's get this over with, boys."

* * *

I hope you liked it! Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Hey guys! Sorry it took so long, but I've been away on holiday. So please enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

CHAPTER 11

Tim stared out the window of the apartment, tapping the wooden arm of the chair. Rain pelted the window and it was making his day even worse, because despite stereotypical belief, he hated the way the rain made everything dark and clouded. It was strange because even though bats were supposed to like the dark and use it to their advantage, he loathed it. While training it was probably the hardest thing to get used to. Especially when he would be blind folded and had to defend himself in sparring. He depended on his eyes too much.

A flaw…along with all the others. Except this flaw had been pointed out by Bruce, not by his parents…which was really strange when he thought about it. They were the ones who pulled him out of little league baseball because he couldn't hit the ball. They were the ones who threatened to send him off to military school if he didn't get good grades. They were the ones who would leave him with a nanny for months just because they didn't want to deal with their screw up son. They'd rather not suffer the disappointment of him and leave.

Which Tim supposed was why he always tried so hard as Robin. And if it hadn't been for the cruelty of his parents, he never would have succeeded in doing so. But, his parents had left him with emotional scares that would probably never go away. When they died, he would be lying if he said that he wasn't a bit relieved. No more pressure from them to be the perfect little son. No more shouting. No more leaving. There was finally a sense of bliss…but also mourning for them because he did love them more than anything or anyone in the world.

Tim bit his lip, chewing off a bit of the skin as he thought. Things were getting scary. The Joker had woken a few hours ago and Tim wished Jason would just knock him out again because listening to the crazy laughter in the room next door was driving him madder than the Joker himself. Tim's eyes moved away from the window to where Roy sat; his body rigid as he stared at the television. The laughter was clearly taking its toll on him also as the laughter would occasionally turn into a scream as Jason tortured the mad man. Tim didn't even want to know what Jason was doing to the clown.

But, neither Roy nor Tim dared to interrupt Jason because they both realized it was just him letting out his bottled up anger. He was letting all of the pain from the nightmares, the crowbar, the day dreams, and the flash backs out onto the Joker. Tim didn't honestly know if that was right or wrong, but he wasn't going to argue about something like that…definitely not.

But, when the screaming/laughing was suddenly replaced with a loud thump, Tim supposed Jason had finally lost interest and knocked the clown out. He heard the door knob turn and not a second later, Jason walked into the living area and towards the kitchen sink, blood staining his hands and splattering his clothes. Tim's head started spinning a bit and he felt sick, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was still sick or if it was because of the thoughts about what Jason had done to the Joker.

Slowly, Tim stood from the chair, his knee screaming in pain as he supported his weight with his good arm on the chair and putting everything on his good leg. Slowly he made his way into the kitchen of the apartment as Jason washed his hands in the sink. Tim leaned against the counter heavily and tried to hide his labored breathing as his head continued to fog. He croaked, "What did you do?"

"Don't worry, I didn't kill him. That's not my job," Jason growled as he scrubbed is hands.

Tim closed his eyes slightly, wobbling. He mumbled, "Then whose job is it?"

"You know the answer to that," Jason snapped, drying his hands with a rag, not turning to look at the teen.

Tim took in a shay breath, nausea hitting him. He groaned, "Jason you have to listen to me, please. Bruce won't…he won't…"

Jason finally turned around and shouted, "He won't what kid?!"

Tim whispered quietly, "Kill him." Suddenly, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The last thing he was aware of was the floor rapidly approaching.

* * *

Dick stared at the blank computer screen with a look of pure terror etched across his face. Roy, Wally, and Bart all sat behind him, the same looks on their faces. Wally whispered quietly, "Um…Dick you're going to have to press the call button eventually…you know?"

"I know," Dick sighed. He shook his head, looking back at the three saying, "He's going to be pissed. So pissed. And he won't believe me."

"He has to," Roy snapped. "If he doesn't then…well then…"

"Yeah," Dick cut in not wanting to hear what would happen. Not wanting to hear that Jason would kill Tim and the Joker himself. It made him shake with anxiety as he reached out his hand and pressed the call key on the keyboard. The screen lit up, making a slight beeping noise as the machine tried to trace Batman's communicator.

Dick tapped his foot slightly, nervousness setting in as they waited. He kind of hoped Bruce would ignore the call, but when the face of Batman's cowl appeared on the screen, a sick feeling washed over Dick. Now was the time.

"What is it?" Batman's gruff voice asked. He clearly knew that since he was being contacted while off world something had to be wrong.

Dick swallowed thickly and replied, "Batman…there's a problem…quite a big one actually."

Batman was silent a moment before asking, "What happened?"

Dick opened his mouth and shut it at least six times before beginning weakly, "Robin he…he got kidnapped a few weeks ago from Gotham's Cemetery. We know who took him and the person who took him also took the Joker. And apparently the only way we're going to get Tim back is if…is if you kill the Joker."

Batman's eyes narrowed into a cold glare behind the cowl. Dick couldn't help but feel the anger was directed at him since he had been told he would need to keep a close eye on the youngest bat. And he hadn't and now Tim was missing. Bruce growled, "And who took him?"

Dick bit down hard on his lower lip, looking back at his three other friends. He then turned his head back around and whispered, "Y-You…you won't believe me."

"Try me," Batman snapped. "Who took Robin, Nightwing?"

Dick closed his eyes and opened them again before blurting, _"Jason."_

The room was suddenly so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even Batman himself looked shocked at the words that had come out of his adoptive son's mouth. Suddenly, that shock turned to frustration as Batman shook his head back and forth hissing, "You know that isn't possible."

"But, Sir, it is Jason," Bart stated quickly walking towards the screen. "This happened in my timeline too…Jason was brought back by Ra's Al Ghul in the Lazuras Pit. You have to believe us or Jason will kill Tim and the Joker. You need to come back here _now!" _

Batman was silent once more, his mouth suddenly in a straight line but his body clearly shaking with anger or anxiety, or maybe just bottled up emotions that were hidden away when Jason died. Finally though, Bruce nodded his head once and said, "I'm on my way." The screen then turned black as the Batman broke the connection. Dick slowly sank to the floor, his body aching from being so tense. Bart placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

The younger speedster whispered, "You did the right thing."

"Yeah, I know," Dick mumbled. "I'm just not sure if the right thing was the smartest thing."

* * *

Jason pressed the strip thermometer against Tim's head, waiting a few seconds before pulling it away. He squinted is eyes as he read the number 103 degrees Fahrenheit. His eyebrows furrowed as he sighed, dropping the strip into the trash and looking at the teen who lay unconscious on the couch.

"Well?" Roy asked from behind him.

Jason shrugged, "103."

Roy ran a hand through his red hair and mumbled, "Crap." He began to pace the living room and mumbled, "What're we going to do?"

"We're still going to wait," Jason snapped, looking back at Roy. "We're going to wait for Bruce to get here and if he kills the Joker he can have Tim back. He'll get him some medicine or something then."

"We have fever pills," Roy said. He moved into the kitchen and opened one of the cabinets pulling out the first aid kit. He brought out a white bottle and opened it, pulling out two pills. He walked back over to Jason who glared at him slightly. Roy asked, "What?"

"How do you expect us to give this to him without him choking?"

Roy looked down at the pills in his hand and grimaced. He whispered, "Oh…yeah."

Jason rolled his eyes and snatched the pills. He pointed into the kitchen and ordered, "Get a glass of water."

Roy left to do so and Jason set the pills on the coffee table, smashing them under his hand into small, white crumbs. Roy returned with the water and handed it to Jason who pushed it into the glass. He moved the water side to side causing the liquid to turn foggy before turning to Tim. He kneeled down next to the couch, leaning his head up slightly and pressing the water against Tim's lips and slowly pouring it into his mouth. Soon enough Tim's throat naturally swallowed the water.

Once he managed to empty the glass about half way he stood and set it on the coffee table. Roy sighed, rubbing the back of his head before asking, "What will we do if his fever doesn't go down."

Jason glanced at him, his eyes almost a bit sad. They moved back to the slumbering child before he whispered in response, "Nothing."

"But what if he dies?" Roy hissed.

Jason shrugged weakly, "Then he dies. Bruce needs to know that he has to stop endangering children. He needs to know he's hurting innocent kids and that he has to stop what he's doing."

"So the part about him killing the Joker…" Roy mumbled. "That's not for anyone. That's just you wanting your revenge."

Jason tilted his head up a bit and growled, "It's not revenge…It's justice."

And with that he turned and left the room. Roy groaned in frustration and sat next to the cup on the coffee table, staring at Tim. He whispered quietly, "I'm sorry about all of this kid…I honestly am."

Tim's eyebrows seemed to furrow at the sound of that, but he did not wake. Roy sighed, rubbing the back of his head. All of this…it was just really screwed up…

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

AN: So this chapter took a little more time than usual, but I hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

CHAPTER 12

It was fear Dick felt when the bat-wing landed in the cave. It was fear he felt when he saw the large form of Batman exiting it. It was fear he felt when the man approached them. And it was fear he felt when Bart told Bruce the story. The way the white slits of his cowl narrowed at the information. The way his body was stiff and clearly agitated. But, who wouldn't be when finding out their son had come back from the dead?

Bruce was very quiet a moment and Dick was almost certain the man would absolutely lash out. How could he not? He had kept all of the rage from Jason's death inside for so long that eventually it had to come out…but it didn't. Bruce did absolutely nothing and that scared Dick. He just stood and walked over to the computer, never giving the other four people in the room a second glance.

"Bruce…" Dick whispered. He sounded like his nine year old self when he would have nightmares and attempt to get comfort from Bruce. He sounded like he was lost in the world, terrified of everything and everyone in it. "Bruce, what are we going to do? What….What are we going to do about the Joker and Jason?"

"_We _aren't going to do anything," Bruce stated. "_I _am going to find out where Jason is and handle it."

Dick's eyes widened slightly and he snapped, "What? What the hell are you talking about?"

Bruce didn't even look back at the distressed teenager. He simply kept typing away at his computer. Dick breathed heavily, staring at the back of Bruce's head as rage filled him. Why? Why would Bruce just come back and expect them not to do anything?

"Batman," Roy stated suddenly. "We've put a lot into this mission. You're not just going to throw us out."

"This is a family matter," Bruce growled, finally turning around in his chair. "You have nothing to do with it."

"Yes we do!" Roy shouted, daring to take a step towards the Gotham Knight. "For one, my original self is helping Jason. And for two, we've been the ones who have been trying to figure this out, not you!"

"Roy," Wally whispered, grabbing Roy's arm. "Calm down."

"You should listen to him," Bruce stated. "I wasn't here because I had no idea that this was occurring. You four are the ones who waited so long to contact me."

"Guys," Bart's voice spoke up for the first time on the subject. "He's right."

"What!?" Both Roy and Dick shouted in unison.

Bart shook his head and continued, "We aren't involved here." He then turned his attention to Bruce saying, "But, Dick needs to go. Trust me on this one, he needs to be there."

The whites of the cowl narrowed as the man studied the boy from the future. And if he brought Dick, what would happen? There were many scenarios he could come up with. Maybe Dick could talk Jason down or maybe Dick would trigger the jealousy within Jason and just make him angrier. Maybe Dick would get hurt and Bruce would end up losing all three of his children at once…

Bruce turned his head slightly, looking away from the group. He pushed himself from the chair, his fists clenched tightly as he thought. Why endanger Dick if there was no need? But…possibly there was a need to endanger one child to save another. Maybe…

"Fine," Bruce snapped suddenly in defeat. "Dick, you may come. But the rest of you are to wait here in case of an emergency."

Roy was reluctant to agree, but Dick did immediately along with Bart and Wally. Batman then began to make his way to the batmobile and Dick called, "Where're you going?"

"_We _are going to find Jason, hurry up," Bruce growled as the top of the car began to slide open. Dick's mouth made an "o" shape as he soon chased after his mentor.

He should have known it would only take him a few minutes to solve where Jason was hiding…Jason must have laid it out in front of him.

* * *

Tim's eyes opened slightly, his vision blurry. He groaned, his head lulling to the side and hitting his right shoulder. The room was dim as he felt a pressure on his wrists and he pulled at it, feeling the plastic of zip ties cut into his flesh. He wondered a moment where his cast was and why he was no longer wearing it. He winced slightly, his head pounding. His vision wouldn't clear and the room felt like it was freezing.

He flinched suddenly when a figure appeared in his line of vision, pressing their hand to his head. He heard a faraway voice whisper, "He's getting worse."

A closer one snapped, "I know that, idiot."

Tim's head lulled to the left this time as he pulled his hands again, still feeling the wait of restraints. He turned his head slightly, his blurred vision making contact with a slumped figure next to him. It wasn't moving at it leaned against the wall just a few feet away.

His eyes shut and closed and for a moment his vision cleared.

It was the bloodied face of the Joker. Deep knife cuts were across his face where Jason had clearly reopened the scars on his lips. Blood covered his suit and made him look like a clown from a horror movie, which he already had before though…

Tim let out a startled gasp, leaning forward towards the figure who had spoken a few moments before. He felt his body come in contact with something leather that smelled like cigarettes and alcohol. He shielded his face from the monstrous clown within the leather. Tim felt hot tears stream his cheeks, though he wasn't positive why he was crying. Was he afraid? Was it because his head hurt so much? Because he was so cold? He didn't know…he just felt frightened and ill.

He could feel the tears starting to leak onto the figure's fabric. He wasn't sure if the person minded or not, but he hoped he didn't. Because he certainly didn't want to look at the clown. The clown that had killed his "brother". The clown who had killed so many more and held no remorse for his actions.

Tim jumped when he felt two arms wrap around his shoulders and stiffly embrace him. It wasn't the hugs Dick gave him. Dick's were gentle and light and kind. This one was heavy and awkward and stiff. Like the person had never hugged anyone in their life…or anyone recently.

Then the voice whispered, "Shh, kid. Bruce will be here soon."

Tim relaxed after hearing that. Bruce was good, right? Bruce was coming to get him. He would be safe then, because Bruce always saves him.

Tim then slowly lets his eyes shut as he drifts off, back into his unconscious mind…

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay and help?" Roy asked once the crying from Tim had stopped. Jason sat on the floor with the boy still held in his attempt of an embrace.

Jason shook his head slowly, replying, "No…No this is personal business. If I can, I'll contact you and tell you how it works out."

Roy gave a slow nod before sighing, "How did you find out Bruce was on his way?"

Jason shrugged, "A few thugs saw his bat-wing in the sky earlier. Just assumed it was him and not Dick."

"Or hoping," Roy stated. Jason looked back at the red head, his eyebrows furrowed and Roy continued, "Well, I mean, you don't want that kid to die from his fever. I know you want to get him back to Bruce as soon as possible so he can fix him. You just want to get this over with."

Jason nodded once, "Yeah…I hadn't realized how hard this was going to be. It had all seemed simpler in my head."

"Everything usually does," Roy muttered. The red head glanced at the doorway and he continued, "Just be careful Jason. Alright?"

"Yeah," Jason muttered, returning his gaze to Tim who was unconscious in his arms. He sighed, "I'll try."

"Ok," Roy replied. He began to make his way to the door and stopped suddenly, looking back at Jason. Jason looked up as Roy said, "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Jason swallowed thickly and nodded once, watching as Roy exited the room and listened as the front door shut. Jason sighed, looking at Tim again. His face was flushed with fever, and he had a pained expression on his face. Jason's eyes then moved to the clown who was still unconscious and bleeding. Jason subconsciously tightened his grip on Tim as he let out a deep breath…Soon. Really soon.

* * *

"Batman, are you sure this is the right place before we storm in?" Dick asked as both he and Bruce landed on the roof of a downtown apartment complex. It wasn't exactly the nicest place in the city, and they had stopped three muggings on the way here.

Bruce nodded, looking at Nightwing from under his cowl, "Positive. Jason practically laid the address out for me to find. He wanted us to come. He wants a confrontation."

"Of course," Nightwing sighed running his hand through his hair. He watched as Bruce made his way to the side of the building, the man's breaths coming out in clouds and disappearing into the cold night air of Gotham City. Dick followed him, also looking over the edge, seeing what his adoptive father was looking at. The line of fire escapes.

"Do you know what floor he's on?" Dick asked.

Bruce nodded replying, "Six."

Dick let out a huff of air and nodded, whispering, "Well…we mine as well go now."

Before he could say anything else, Bruce jumped down, using his cape to slow his fall as he caught the side of the fire escape and pulled himself up. Dick soon followed in suit, landing next to him. Both turned slowly, looking at the window in front of them. Batman didn't hesitate to kick outward, causing the window to fly back into the apartment room.

Bruce didn't wait before climbing inside and landing on the glass, crushing it. Nightwing followed close behind, his boots cracking the glass beneath his feet. Both looked across the room and weren't shocked when they saw the two bodies bound and propped against the wall, but when they laid their eyes on Jason, they couldn't hide their shock. Even if they knew he was going to be here…seeing him alive was different. It made it real.

The silence was smothering as they stared at each other. Dick stole a glance at Tim who looked fine besides him being unconscious. Dick then quickly looked back at Jason, the teen who had once been his little brother, who stood there with a gun pointed at the Joker and dangerously close to Tim also.

"Jason," Bruce stated, barely above a whisper. Dick glanced at him, trying to read his face under the cowl. It was shock, sadness, and confusion all wrapped in one. Dick then looked at Jason who had smirked.

"Took you long enough," He growled, caulking the gun.

Bruce took in a deep breath and said, "Jason…you can't do this. You can't kill the Joker."

Jason's smirked widened as he spoke, moving over to where Tim's body lay. He said, "Oh I'm not…you are."

"I can't do that," Bruce snapped. "You know I can't."

Jason shrugged his shoulders, "That's fine, but if you don't kill him, then I kill the baby of the family." He reached down, grabbing Tim by the side of his shirt and holding him in front of himself, effectively shielding his body from Dick and Bruce. He pressed the gun to Tim's temple growling, "Make a choice."

Bruce's eyes narrowed behind the cowl as he watched Tim's head fall to the left away from the gun, his eyes closed. He was glad the child was unaware of the situation at this point. Suddenly, Dick asked, "Where's Roy?"

"I told him to leave," Jason replied. "This doesn't concern him."

"You sound like someone else I know," Dick muttered, glancing at Bruce who didn't even acknowledge his comment. Jason's eyes glared coldly at the older, but did not reply. He just continued to press the gun against the side of Tim's head.

Dick's mind then wandered to something Bart had said. That Jason was not capable of killing Tim in his own future. What would have changed now? Why would Jason suddenly be capable of the act? It was a dangerous assumption…but maybe it was one he needed to make in order to help Tim and Jason.

"You won't kill him," Dick stated suddenly. Bruce's head snapped around, almost in a warning way. Jason's eyes narrowed farther if that was possible. Dick couldn't help the way he smirked and continued, "I know you won't. You can't."

"Oh, I can't?" Jason snapped. "I can't!?"

"No," Dick muttered, taking a step towards his once-was younger brother. His eyes looked at Tim who was still unconscious. He said, "Timmy is a great kid. And I think you know that now, don't you? You've gotten to know him-"

"Shut up!" Jason shouted suddenly. "This isn't about the kid. This is about Bruce killing this piece of garbage." The teen dug his foot into the Joker's side, making the unconscious man groan in pain in his slumber.

Dick shook his head, "You don't want to kill a kid."

Jason's face twisted into a grimace as he replied, "He's going to end up dead anyway, isn't he Bruce?" Jason looked at the man who had been watching the conversation between his sons. "Mine as well put him out of his misery. Like a dog."

Bruce shook his head, "Jason, this isn't the way-"

"Oh, stop it with the holier-than-thou bull crap!" Jason screamed, causing Tim's eyebrows to furrow in his sleep. "You can't stop crime. Locking up a villain isn't going to do anyone any good with this screwed up justice system. You _know _what happens. They get locked up, but get out a few weeks later. They kill a few dozen more people and the cycle starts over again! This is the only way to control it, Bruce. The only way to stop him from killing more people. And if you don't kill him, I'll kill the kid and the Joker."

Suddenly, everyone's eyes snapped to Tim when he made a light groan. His eyes cracked open, feeling a heavy weight wrapped around his chest and something hard against his back, along with something that was cold and metal pressed against the side of his head. His vision was blurry as he took in the two figures in front of him. His eyes widened when he realized who they were…

"Batman…Nightwing? Where'd…" He trailer off when the cold metal pressed harder against the side of his skull. He turned his head slightly, barely able to control his neck movements. He swallowed thickly, his heart rate speeding up when his eyes made contact with the barrel of a gun.

"Jason?" Tim said quietly, not able to process what exactly what was happening. Then, his eyes widened suddenly realizing he had woken up at the worst possible time. Jason was making Bruce choose now whether he wanted to save his son or the Joker.

"You ok Timmy?" A voice asked gently. Tim's head snapped around to look back at his adoptive brother, Dick. He nodded slowly, his head a bit easier to control now. He reached up, gripping Jason's arm in some attempt to remove the pressure from around his chest.

"Enough talking," Jason snapped suddenly. "Choose Bruce."

Bruce was silent, just as Tim had guessed. He sighed deeply and moved his head, not looking directly at Jason, but in his direction. He asked, "So is it time for you to kill me?"

"Shut up, kid," Jason growled.

"No," Tim croaked hoarsely. "I won't. I told you this would happen. I told you he won't kill the Joker. And I was right because he's not. Jason…you just have to get over that. You have to get over it."

"Shut up!" Jason shouted, shaking Tim slightly, making the boy's head spin and his stomach ache.

Tim's eyes moved to the Dark Knight who was staring at him. And even with the cowl on, Tim could see a look of hurt. Tim whispered, "Bruce I…I know you're not going to kill the Joker. It's ok if Jason kills me. I mean…it's your moral code and I'd never ask you to break it."

"Tim, stop talking like that," Dick snapped suddenly. "Stop, please."

"It's Jason's choice," Tim continued, ignoring his brother's order. "It's his choice and remember…he's the victim here. He honestly is…"

Tim coughed suddenly, interrupting his sentence. Jason looked down at the boy, a look of shock on his face. Was Tim actually saying that? While he had a gun pressed against the kid's head was he still defending Jason? He didn't know if that was stupid or courageous…

Jason swallowed thickly, shaking his head. He said once more, "Choose Bruce."

Bruce slowly shook his head, not giving a response. Tim felt Jason's grip on him tighten at that. Jason nodded slowly, disappointment clear in his voice as he whispered, "Alright."

The last thing Tim was aware of was a gun fire and the colors of blue and black whirling across his mind…

* * *

Ohhh! Cliff hanger! Ha, it's ok, the next chapter will be the epilogue and everything will be explained! I hope you guys liked it!


	13. Epilogue

AN: Epilogue is here! :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice or its characters!

EPILOGUE

The world was quiet for a moment. Completely silent and though it might be strange…it honestly was amazing. No more talking in his head. No more people nagging him that he can do better. No more voice in the back of his mind saying he's not good enough. It was just a few moments of bliss. Painless and silent bliss.

But that changed when someone was shaking him, making him feel sicker than he already was. And then being lifted and the shouting returned. He wished whoever was shouting would just shut up because he liked how quiet it had been. How calm and heavenly everything had been. What a selfish wish…but it was just what he wanted. He didn't want to be bothered.

And then there was the burning of flesh and tingling of antiseptic, then something warm. The pinches of needles and the coldness of what must have been a medical table. The talking never stopped once. Never. And that all on its own was tiresome since he didn't even have the energy to open his eyes and shout at the two familiar voices to shut up and leave him alone.

And then there were three more. Three more voices that were talking. Two were talking very fast, especially the higher pitched one. It was only until he lost all contact with reality that things were silent again.

But within hours he had regained consciousness. Someone was dabbing a cool cloth on his head and he was aware that he was still on a metal medical table. He was shivering slightly as he looked through half lidded eyes at the person beside him.

"Alfred?" He had managed to croak.

Alfred gave a small smile and said, "Yes young sir, please do rest. Your fever is still quite high."

"Where…Where's Jason?" He asked, his tone slightly frightened. What had happened when he lost consciousness? His ear hurt a little and he knew it must have been from a gun firing so close to his head. When he furrowed his eyebrows trying to think, he felt a tugging from the side of his temple.

Alfred sighed deeply, "Master Jason is…well I assume he's fine."

"Assume?" Tim whispered, his eyes already beginning to shut.

"Now, hush Master Timothy. Do rest," Alfred ordered gently, still dabbing the cold rag on Tim's forehead.

The second time he regained consciousness, he was tucked in tightly into one of the many beds of the manor. The thick blanket was pulled to his chin and it was quite comfortable compared to the metal table in the cave. He blinked, the room almost completely dark besides a bit of light seeping in through the closed curtains. He supposed it might be about midday. Slowly, he turned his head to see a form lying beside him.

Dick.

Tim sighed slightly in relief, looking his brother over who was snoring quite loudly. He looked fine. Completely fine actually. Tim thought back to those last few moments at Jason's apartment. The colors of Dick's costume flying in front of him. That had frightened him slightly. Made him wonder if Jason had accidentally shot Dick.

But, overall, his brother looked fine.

Tim had scooted a bit closer to his brother, staring at him closely. Even though the room was quite dark, he could vaguely see the bags under Dick's eyes. And though he wanted so badly to wake him and ask what happened, he didn't. There was no telling how long it had been since Dick had slept.

So silently, ignoring the same tugging at his temple, he closed his eyes and fell back into slumber.

Then the third time he woke, it was dark. Completely pitch black in the room. He wasn't frightened though. The dark had stopped being scary long ago. The dark was his ally in many situations. Tim blinked, the same tugging at his head. He wished it would go away. Slowly, he reached over to check and see if Dick was still on the bed. No. He was gone.

Tim slowly sat up, his bones cracking from being horizontal for so long. He rubbed his eyes and reached for the side of his head to find out where the tugging had come from. What he found was what felt like a small rectangular bandage.

He gasped suddenly when he felt someone wrap a hand around his wrist. He attempted to pull away until a deep voice ordered, "Calm down."

He did immediately. It was Bruce's voice and he was adjusted to taking orders from that voice. Suddenly, the hand removed itself and there was a clicking sound as the beside lamp was turned on. Tim squinted his eyes, looking at the clock. No wonder it was dark, it was midnight.

Tim then looked at his adoptive father who stood next to the bed, his face unreadable. Sometimes Tim found it easier to read the cowl than Bruce Wayne's face. Bruce asked, "How do you feel?"

"Ok," Tim replied. He pointed to his head and asked, "What happened?"

Bruce sighed, shaking his head, "You don't remember anything do you? You've been unconscious with a fever the past week. The wound on your temple is a bullet graze."

Tim's eyes widened slightly, "Really?"

Bruce nodded and continued, "When I told Jason that I refused to kill the Joker he was about to kill you. Dick grabbed the gun and moved it enough to where the bullet simply grazed you."

"I remember," Tim muttered. "I remember his colors. Dick's I mean. I thought…I was afraid he had taken the bullet for me. I'm glad he didn't."

"He probably would have if the situation would have allowed it," Bruce replied.

Tim sighed, shaking his head. He whispered, "And Jason? Where is he?"

Bruce sucked in a deep breath before replying, "I'm not sure. While we were distracted with you, he got away. Dick managed to hit him pretty hard though when we thought he had actually…killed you."

"You thought I died?" Tim asked.

Bruce adverted his eyes to the side of the bed and stated, "You landed face down; we couldn't see that it had just grazed you."

Tim nodded slowly, rubbing his arm. He said quietly, "I uh…I'm sorry you had to leave your trial just to come help me. It was stupid of me to get kidnapped in the first place. Plus I should have gotten out on my own."

"I don't see how you could, with your knee shattered and your arm broken," Bruce stated.

Tim looked down suddenly, completely forgetting about his knee. He moved the blankets aside seeing it wrapped tightly in a bandage. His arm however was no longer in a cast and it seemed to be fine. Bruce cleared his throat and explained, "We did surgery on your knee. It'll take time to heal, probably two months or so. Your arm however was fine. Jason…well he did well with the resources he had."

"Yeah," Tim stated, smiling a bit. "He did."

The room was suddenly enveloped in silence, but not an uncomfortable one. One that was saying everything that Bruce wasn't. Or more that he couldn't. Tim's smile widened a little as he looked at the billionaire and said, "Hey Bruce?"

Bruce looked at him and Tim continued, "I missed you."

The look on Bruce's face was light. Tim knew Bruce wouldn't say it back, but that was just simply how Bruce was. He knew how Bruce felt though. He could tell the man had been worried sick and that he had been frightened just as much as Dick and the team. But…Bruce had a mask that he couldn't afford to let falter. It needed to stay and be there because in some cases…it was his only defense emotionally.

A small smile slipped on Bruce's lips. It was small and hard to see, but Tim could tell it was there. Suddenly though, Tim's stomach let out a low growl. He grabbed his abdomen and said again, "Hey Bruce?"

Bruce waited for the boy to continue and Tim asked, "Can we ask Alfred to make some cookies?"

And the smile was there again. Bruce nodded twice, helping the boy stand from the bed on account of his knee. As they exited the room, Tim couldn't help but think about Jason and where he could be. He wished that the older wasn't so angry…so broken.

He wished Jason could have these times with his family still…

Because after all…just because you're not dead, doesn't mean you're alive. It just means you're breathing…but without a friend or a little bit of family…you're not living. You're a shell and it's sad sometimes.

But, Tim would think about that later…Alfred was making cookies…

* * *

Jason had his back pressed against a brick wall of a building he didn't even know. He had his head tiled upright slightly, allowing the cold rain to pelt his face. It stung slightly, but honestly he didn't care. All he cared about was that fact that he failed…

_Again…_

Jason sucked in a deep breath trying to fight away the thoughts. He kept his eyes shut so tightly it hurt as he shoved everything away. The feelings…the emotions. It all hurt and he didn't need any more of that. He just wanted a little peace.

After all…who wouldn't when the man you had once called a father _refused _to kill the man who had killed you. And then, you try to shoot your younger brother and fail at that also…from point plank range.

But, he couldn't lie…he was a little glad Dick had saved the kid…only a little though.

Tim honestly didn't deserve what Jason had gotten, and Jason knew this. He had just been so upset…he didn't get it. Why wouldn't Bruce just do it? Kill the Joker and make things alright again.

But…maybe things would never be alright again.

Jason slowly leaned forward and then quickly shoved his head back against the brick wall. He growled at the sky, "Why is everything so screwed up?"

There was no answer and he knew there wouldn't be. Still, he felt a rage inside of his build as he screamed, _**"Why!?" **_

Still…the only sound came from the water pelting the ground…

Slowly, Jason slid down onto his side against the wall and shut his eyes. And for the first time in what felt like forever…

He _cried_…

_**THE END**_

Another story finished. I didn't exactly like this ending, but I suppose it'll have to do. I've never been much of a perfectionist anyway. Oh and I happened to love the new episode of Young Justice today. Timmy actually talked! Any who, I hope you guys liked it and thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed this story! Even the people who have just read it! Please review!


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